WSW Issue #1688 September 22 2006 Dam Saftey/Corps of Engineers/FEMA

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Page 2 of 3 People caught in the path of a dam collapse are often helpless to escape. Such was the tragic situation in Hawaii when, in March, the Ka Loko Dam, a 116 -year earthen dam, on the island of Kauai suddenly collapsed during heavy rains, killing seven people. When a dam collapses, destruction is often swift and uncontrollable.... While most of the responsibility is at the State and local level, there is a role for the Federal Government in supplementing State resources and developing national guidelines...." WATER RESOURCES/AGRICULTURE- Water Conservation /Farm Bill 2007 The House Agriculture Committee has been holding a series of hearings in and out of Washington, D.C. on the future for the Farm Bill with scores of witnesses ranging from former U.S. Secretaries of Agriculture to producers, processors and suppliers. The testimony covers a wide range of issues, including world trade policy, nutrition, commodity and conservation programs, as well as biofuels. With respect to reauthorization of the Farm Bill, opinions vary with some calling for a one -two year extension of current authorities, while others prefer a comprehensive reform package or at least targeted changes to address their particular concerns. Go to http: / /agriculture.house.gov for testimony. Bob Stallman, President of the American Farm Bureau Federation, said, "U.S. farm policy should continue to help level the playing field with assistance to America's farmers until trade negotiations achieve a truly fair world market." He added, "The overall agricultural economy is in reasonable fiscal shape. Certainly there are individual producers who face challenges... with the storms and fires of the last two years and those who are now working through years of drought, as well as those who have lived through hurricanes and too much moisture." Further, he called the 2002 Farm Bill the "greenest" in history in terms of authorized conservation funding that "will benefit everyone through improved soil, water and air quality and wildlife habitat.... Our farmers and ranchers have been prudent managers of our country's natural resources ... [and] have taken great strides to improve their environmental performance." There is general support for Farm Bill conservation programs, as a compliment to commodity programs. Greg Shelor a sorghum producer from Minneola, Kansas testified at a September 20 full Committee hearing that only "a few Kansas farmers have even been allowed to apply for conservation programs under the Conservation Security Program (CSP) because of the limited geographical areas approved...." Representing NSP, national sorghum producers, he highlighted sorghum as a "conservation crop because it uses less water and works very well on marginal lands." He applauded the Committee for giving "serious consideration to the future of water supplies in the semi -arid regions of the Plains ... by creating the Ground and Surface Water Conservation Program as part of the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP). However, more can and must be done to conserve water.... NSP is concerned that the demand for water for both agriculture and non - agriculture use could create a climate of tension that is not productive for either group." Mr. Shelor referred to a National Water Research Institute (NWRI) report that estimates 25% of the world's population will face water shortages by 2025, and suggests that 50% of the future increase in water demands can be met by "increasing the effectiveness of irrigation and by growing more water -use efficient crops like sorghum." He adds, "Unfortunately, concentrating solely on improving irrigation technologies and increasing efficiencies does not necessarily translate into less water usage.... Overall, NSP believes that Congress and USDA need to emphasize water quantity, as part of water management, in both current and future conservation programs." He noted USDA research has found sorghum uses about 1 /3rd less water than either corn or soybeans, and 15% less water than wheat. He stated, "Agriculture uses approximately 95% of the water drawn from the Ogallala Aquifer.... We believe that the best way to conserve water is to lower the amount of water used within an agricultural system, not to just improve irrigation delivery technologies.... NSP members believe that an incentive to compensate farmers for changing to a less water intensive crop would result in significant water conservation." WATER RESOURCES Bureau of Reclamation The second in a series of public workshops on the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation's Managing for Excellence (MFE) project was held in Salt Lake City on September 19 -20. Reclamation leaders and water users discussed a http: / /www.westgov.org /wswc /1688.html 10/24/2006