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<br />Western States Water Council <br />Water Resources Committee Minutes <br /> <br />Sioux Falls, South Dakota <br />May 3, 2007 <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />research work that addresses complex climate variability and change issues, and the water-related <br />impacts, which are of concern to water managers and administrators at the regional level. <br /> <br />Included under Tab C was a listing of current Council positions, prepared at the request of Weir <br />Labatt, and he thanked staff for their work in putting it together. <br /> <br />NOAA. RISAS AND STATE CLIMATE ADAPT ABILITY ACTIVITIES <br />- Jeanine Jones, California Department of Water Resources <br /> <br />A description of NOAA's Climate Program Office and the RISAs program, together with <br />information on the four western RISAs (located at universities in Arizona, California, Colorado and <br />Washington) were included in the briefing books under Tab K. In addition to discussing the work ofthe <br />RISAs, Jeanine introduced the agenda for the upcoming WSWC/WGA Workshop on Climate Change and <br />Research Needs in Irvine, California on May 16-18. The agenda was passed out to attendees. <br /> <br />USGS COOPERATIVE WATER PROGRAM AND OTHER ACTIVITIES <br />- Bob Hirsch, U.S. Geological Survey, Associate Director for Water Resources <br /> <br />Bob thanked both the WSWC and Interstate Council on Water Policy (ICWP) for their letters of <br />support and visits to Capitol Hill on behalf of the USGS Cooperative Water Program (CWP) and National . <br />Streamflow Information Program (NSIP). He would appreciate any other contacts regarding increasing <br />funding. He reviewed items under Tab L in the briefing books, including a May 7 meeting for CWP <br />stakeholders in Sacramento, California in conjunction with the Spring meeting of the Association of <br />California Water Agencies (ACW A). Included under Tab L was a briefing sheet summarizing the CWP <br />and stakeholder input and recommendations from a January 2006 meeting in Austin, Texas hosted by <br />ICWP. Those recommendations fall under three categories: (1) enhanced communications; (2) <br />optimization of costs; and (3) prioritization of data collection. <br /> <br />Bob noted that Mark Limbaugh, Assistant Secretary of Interior for Water and Science, has asked <br />for a paper on recent improvements to the USGS stream gaging program, which was also included under <br />Tab L. It describes advances in the acoustic measurement of streamflow, as opposed to mechanical <br />means, using an Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP) mounted to the bottom of a boat. He also <br />highlighted research using UHF and microwave radar systems to measure surface velocities and the cross- <br />sectional area of a river so that discharge can be continuously monitored without contact with the water <br />(which also has safety related benefits). Advances have also been made in satellite telemetry, providing <br />streamflow information on the internet (with historic instantaneous data, usually recorded at IS-minute <br />intervals and presented for the last 31 days), and real-time data quality assurance. <br /> <br />Yesterday, on the field trip, participants visited the USGS Earth Resources Observation and <br />Science (EROS) Center, which handles streamgaging and other data, collection, dissemination and <br />archiving. <br /> <br />The next paper under Tab L describes the USGS ground-water climate response network. <br /> <br />Bob commented on the USGS FY 2007 budget, and also looking forward to FY 2008. Since the . <br />Congress failed to produce a budget, and then enacted only a broad outline for spending, details have <br /> <br />4 <br />