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<br />. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />Western States Water Council <br />Water Resources Committee Minutes <br /> <br />Sioux Falls, South Dakota <br />May 3, 2007 <br /> <br />There was some discussion about making the template more comfortable for our member states. We <br />began with the USGS template, but we may wish to make it more user friendly for western states. Tom <br />Maddock made a comment about the third matrix. "We probably should not put that information in a <br />publication. Just do itin narrative form or something since this information is pretty thin. Don't expose <br />ourselves." A progress report will be presented at the August meeting. <br /> <br />"WATER WEDNESDAY" Sprint! 2008 in Washint!ton. DC <br />- Sue Lowry, Wyoming State Engineer's Office and ICWP Chair <br /> <br />Sue noted that the Water Resources Committee needs to give the Executive Committee some <br />ideas about the Spring 2008 meetings in Washington, D.C. ICWP was debriefing about 2-3 things that <br />both ICWP and WSWC could hit Capitol Hill on such as streamgaging program funding, SnowTel <br />funding, etc. There is efficiency in meeting together with ICWP to get congressional staffers and folks <br />such as Mark Limbaugh, Bob Hirsch, Steve Stockton, etc. <br /> <br />Sue laid out someideas for timing and location. How many groups should be included? <br />Weir believes we should meet jointly with ASIWPCA. Sue agrees we should meet with ICWP. <br />By the time we meet in DC, we will want this to be a broad Water in the West meeting. We also want to <br />meet separately, as individual organizations, but maybe have ajoint session with other groups. Duane <br />would like to have the Council visit the Hill as a group, and separate from the other groups. "We need to <br />have our ability to drive success with the WGA report. We have to make the message to our governors <br />and follow up on the WGA report. We want to maintain a western states identity." A joint meeting as <br />part of the program is okay, but we don't want to have Senator Domenici (R-NM) answering questions <br />about New Jersey, Florida, etc. <br /> <br />Norm Semanko said the NWRA meeting is April 14-16, and they are meeting at the Washington <br />Court. We could possibly get some ofthe heavy hitters, and we could possibly do it as a big group and <br />still maintain a western voice. He suggested we poll some of the major groups like NWRA and then <br />possibly take advantage of their dates and hotel location. Are we willing to commit 3-4 days to the <br />meeting? I would rather take an extra day than take two trips to D.C. <br /> <br />What other groups are meeting in DC next spring? Development ofthe agenda will be critical. <br />Shaun offered to contact congressional folks through the WGA's DC office. Larry Anderson commented <br />on the timing for meeting in D.C., as there may be many Administration officials leaving before the 2008 <br />elections and that will leave us talking with Acting Directors, etc. <br /> <br />WEATHER MODIFICATION LEGISLATION <br />- Rod Kuharich, Director, Colorado Water Conservation Board <br /> <br />Rod noted that Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison (R- TX) will likely be the sponsor of legislation to <br />create a weather modification research program. Hurricane Katrina has caught us up with weather <br />modification research. NOAA or NSF funding for research will be asked for by Senator Hutchison. Rep. <br />Mark Udall (D-CO) wi1llikely introduce a House bill, and would like to see NOAA funding. We may be <br />able to get joint funding. It is more likely that we could see the bill getting though in FY 2009. A <br />WSWC position and North American Interstate Weather Modification Council paper are under Tab Q. <br /> <br />9 <br />