WSW Issue #1687 September 15 2006 Water Availability/Water Information Management

Home Browse Search

Page 2 of 3 Others speaking included: Dave Prudic, USGS Nevada Water Science Center (WSC), on modeling ground water and surface water interactions; Stan Leake, Arizona WSC, on Southwest ground water availability studies; Doug McAda, New Mexico WSC and Peggy Barroll, NM OSE, on ground water in the Albuquerque Basin; Wes Danskin and Eric Reichard, CA WSC, on optimization modeling, and artificial recharge and water quality, respectively; Terry Maret, ID WSC, on modeling ecological water needs; and Glenn Patterson, Cooperative Water Program Coordinator, who provided introductory and summary comments. On Thursday, September 14, WSWC Chairman Duane Smith, New Mexico State Engineer, welcomed those attending and addressed briefly the WSWC report on water needs and strategies adopted by western governors. A significant part of the report addresses water availability and the continuing need for more and better information for decisionmakers. New Mexico State Engineer John D'Antonio, a WSWC member, next spoke to the group and described a number of water resources challenges that all require sound science and adequate data for decisionmaking. New Mexico's population is expected to grow by 85% by 2050, and a State Water Plan to meet anticipated water needs is being updated, integrating 16 regional plans. It is a very transparent process, meeting with people face -to -face, but there is still a lot of conflict. The state has initiated Active Water Resources Management in seven basins as a response to drought, other water shortages, and the potential need to administer rights to the use of water by priority. The state is also seeking to accelerate completion of eleven water rights adjudications involving some 65,000 claims. They are going out into the field with geographic (GIS) technology and ownership information, showing users what their defined rights are. They are converting paper files to digital images, maps and abstracts. New Mexico has over 185,000 water rights files totaling some three million pages. The work of scanning these files has been brought "inhouse," due to quality control concerns with earlier contract work. It is estimated it will take about 14 years to fully populate the water rights database. Water banking and water transfers, leases, and other water management tools all depend on well defined water rights. Other state presentations included: Joe Summers, further describing New Mexico's evolving water rights information system; Sam Perkins on modeling surface water availability in southeast Kansas; Jeremy Manley on Wyoming's well monitoring data; Michael Sughru on Oklahoma's online water information mapping system; Bob Harmon and Ken Stahr on Oregon's surface water availability, watershed and streamflow modeling; and Michael Ciscell on Idaho's Eastern Snake Plain Aquifer ground water model. In addition, the Upper Rio Grande Water Operations Model was explained by Mike Roark, USGS NM WSC, and Dennis Garcia and Roberta Ball, with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Albuquerque District. Ken Pathak, Corps Engineering Research and Design Center in Vicksburg, Mississippi, demonstrated the use of a GIS tool bar developed to allow access to other databases across different platforms. Tom Pagano, National Water and Climate Center in Portland, described NRCS activities to improve water supply forecasts and provide new data products. Finally, Steve Bowser, U.S. Bureau of Reclamation in Albuquerque, presented information on tools for estimating evapotranspiration, which is a major component of operational storage releases where water uses may be some 125 miles downstream from reservoirs. All the powerpoint presentations made at the workshop will be made available soon on the Council's website: www.westgov.org /wswc /meetings.html. Water Resources Development Act The House has named its representatives to resolve differences in conference with the Senate on H.R. 2864 to authorize U.S. Army Corps of Engineers projects and programs. The House members are: Richard Pombo (R -CA); Marilyn Musgrave (R -CO); Don Young (R -AK); John Duncan (R -TN); Richard Baker (R -LA); Gary Miller (R -CA); Henry Brown (R -SC); John Boozman (R -AR); James Oberstar (D -MN); Eddie Bernice Johnson (D- TX); Jerry Costello (D -IL); and Timothy Bishop (D -NY). PEOPLE On September 15, Mark D. Myers was confirmed by the U.S. Senate as Director of the U.S. Geological Survey. President Bush nominated Myers in May. He is an internationally recognized geologist and former State Geologist and head of Alaska's Geological Survey. "I con ratulate Mark on his confirmation and commend the U.S. Senate for its unanimous consent action today," sai I tedor Secretary Dirk Kempthorne. "Mark brings two decades of experience in geological science and strong adership skills to his position. I have every confidence he will do an outstanding job...." http: / /www.westgov.org /wswc /1687.html 10/24/2006