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<br />Position No. 256
<br />(See a/so No. 235)
<br />
<br />.
<br />
<br />POSITION
<br />of the
<br />WESTERN STATES WATER COUNCIL
<br />regarding
<br />FEDERAL WATER AND CLIMATE DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS PROGRAMS
<br />Adopted as Revised
<br />Las Vegas
<br />April 2, 2004
<br />
<br />WHEREAS, the Western States Water Council is a policy advisory body representing eighteen states,
<br />and has long been involved in western water conservation, development, protection, and management issues,
<br />and the member states and political subdivisions have long been partners in coope,rative federal water and
<br />climate data collection and analysis programs; and
<br />
<br />WHEREAS, in the West, water is a critical, vital resource (much of which originates from mountain
<br />snows) and sound decision making demands accurate and timely data on precipitation, temperature, soil
<br />moisture, snow depth, snow water content, stream flow, and similar information; and
<br />
<br />WHEREAS, the demands for water and related climate data continue.to i'l1ci'ease along with our
<br />population and this infonnation is used by federal, state, tribal, and local government agencies, as well as
<br />private entities and individuals, to forecast flooding and drought and to project future water supplies for
<br />agricultural, municipal, and industrial uses; hydropower production, recreation, and environmental purposes,
<br />such as for fish and wildlife management and for endangered species needs; and
<br />
<br />WHEREAS, without timely and accurate infonnation, human life, health, welfare, property, and
<br />environmental and natural resources are at considerably greater risk of loss; and
<br />
<br />I WHEREAS, critical and vital infonnation is gathered and disseminated through a number of important
<br />, thieml programs. including. but not limited to: illthe Snow Survey and Water Supply Forecasting
<br />Program, administered by the National Water and Climate Center (NWCC) in POItland, Oregon, and funded
<br />through USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS); (2) N.wCCs Soil and Climate Analysis
<br />N~~~IJUSS::AN): ( 3) Jhe lJ,.S, (}e()logicaI ~uryey'sc:o()perativt:StreaJllg;iging}>r()grlU11.a!1d..N.!iti()nlll".., .,.
<br />Stream Flow Infonnation Program, which are funded through the Department of Interior; and (4) Landsat
<br />thermal data acquired through the National Atmospheric and Space Administration (NASA) and USGS; and
<br />
<br />.
<br />
<br />WHEREAS, state-of-the-art technology has been developed to provide real or near real-time data with
<br />the potential to vastly improve the water-related information available to decisionmakers in natural resources
<br />and emergency management, and thus better protect the public safety, welfare and the environment; and
<br />
<br />WHEREAS, over a number of years, federal appropriations have not kept up with increasing program
<br />! I costs and/or capital replacement needs. as well as matching non-federal contributions, and this erosion in
<br />funding has led or would have led to the discontinuance, disrepair, or obsolescence,ofvitalequiprTlent
<br />n!:gQg,g,JQJl1illlltain~:>;.j~!ing water rcsourcQ,'i.I~!ated data gathering actiyi!i~; and
<br />
<br />
<br />I
<br />
<br />WHEREAS"asubstanti.alincrcasein related, tederal [lrograrn,approQriatiol1s, is,rel]uired to. avoid tIle.
<br />los~gLcritical infolJmtion and.Jlata; and.
<br />
<br />._.-. . ..,...----. . --_._------,--
<br />WHEREAS, there is a serious need for adequate and consistent federal funding to maintain, restore,
<br />I I modernize, and provide for the Jargeteci ,~xl'a,nsion, OKW~T~~_'_S ,~N()TEI:-_ arld_ ~c:~\N., !?y.~t~D1;;)_ al~d_lJ.~9_S 's_, __
<br />
<br />.1
<br />
<br />~ , while equally essential d;;;;;-1
<br />; on stream flow conditions are gathered i
<br />and disseminated through )
<br />
<br />;~G 1
<br />
<br />! ,: Deleted: of a significant number of
<br />: . I manual snow courses, automated
<br />, ;, SNOTEL (SNOwTELemetry) sites,
<br />stream flow forecasting capabilities, and
<br />stream gages
<br />
<br />
<br />Deleted: beginning in FY200l, an
<br />increase in the federal appropriation, in
<br />the amount of approximately $2.5
<br />million. was made for the Snow Survey
<br />and Water Supply Forecasting Program to I
<br />prevent the discont~n~ce, disrepair, or
<br />obsolescence of a SIgnIficant nmober of i
<br />manual snow courses. automated !
<br />SNOTEL ,ites, and stream flow i
<br />forecasting capabilities !
<br />
<br />.. r~leted: ~- -- 1
<br />
<br />" i~ !
<br />
<br />,Deleted: WHEREAS, the USDA I
<br />. has now detennined to implement .1
<br />accounting changes that will essentially
<br />erase the benefits of the added federal
<br />appropriations that began in FY200 I, ,
<br />which changes will essentially exhaust !
<br />funds available for the operation and .1'
<br />maintenance ofNWCC's SNOTEL I
<br />System and Soil and Climate Analysis
<br />Network (SCAN) by FY2006; and~
<br />~ I
<br />WHf:REAS, increases in federal !
<br />costs for salaries and overhead are !
<br />continuing to be absorbed by the U ,So I
<br />Geologica' Survey's Cooperative Stream I
<br />Gaging Program, resulting in erosion of ,
<br />the funding needed to maintain the stream I
<br />gaging program; and ~ J
<br />
<br />. { Deleted: continued 1
<br />
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<br />
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