PUB00024

• Year: 1998
• Title: Water in the West: Challenge for the Next Century
• CWCB Section: Interstate & Federal
• Description: Report of the Western Water Policy Review Advisory Commission
• Publications - Doc Type: Tech Report

Water in the West: The Challenge for the Next Century

The Commission believes that functioning river
basin forums and processes as described above can
playa major role in shaping, coordinating, and
implementing federal policy at the regional level.
However, we believe that there remains a need for
national coordination of water policy and programs,
especially as federal resources decline and the need
for priority setting becomes more acute. At a time
when our water resources policies are in such rapid
transition, it is remarkable that there is no regular
forum for discussion of these issues by involved
federal officials.

Coordinating Federal Strategy

The water problems that federal agencies deal with
in the West today span the jurisdictions of several
agencies and several departments (a detailed
description of the jurisdictions and authorities of the
various congressional committees and federal
agencies related to water resources is in appen-
dix C). However, only issues of major political or
national siguificance can get sufficient attention
from a Secretary or the President to resolve
interdepartmental or intradepartmental conflict. For
most problems, there is no forum to develop a
coordinated approach; hence, the common criticism
of federal agencies not "speaking with one voice."
The Commission recommends, for issues of
regional siguificance, the appointment of a
designated official who has the responsibility to
shepherd the issue on behalf of the President or
Secretary as appropriate. This person would
undertake to develop a clearly articulated federal
objective to be clearly conveyed to field
organizations and managers. The official would
name a lead organization at the field level to
coordinate federal activities and budgets and would
designate a single point of legal counsel to
coordinate all involved federal agency counsels.

xxviii

The Federal Role in Research and Data
Collection

Using Good Science

Sound, unbiased data and analysis are a prerequisite
to the success, efficiency, and economic prudence of
many federal activities. The Commission
recommends that when federal agencies undertake
projects or programs which depend on new
scientific research or knowledge, the agencies
should bring expert review and contribution to
research and monitoring plans, data analysis, and
assessment of conclusions. Options include external
review panels, such as National Research Council
review committees, and publication in peer-
reviewed journals. Also, joint investigations with
universities and professional groups, project
conferences, and symposia should be utilized.

Adaptive Management

When natural river systems and their associated
biota are combined with extensive water control
structures, the resulting network of inter-
relationships is extraordinarily complex. The
Commission endorses and encourages the use of
adaptive management wherever long-term programs
or projects are implemented or facilities are
operated that may have siguificant impact upon
valued environmental, social, economic, or other
resources, and where significant uncertainty exists
about the best management action or about its
effects.

Monitoring

In its review of the first 25 years of implementation
of the National Environmental Policy Act, the