BOARD00845

• Board Meeting Date: 9/10/2002
• Description: CWCB Director's Report
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Memo

The Subcommittee hearing also addressed S. 1882, the Small Reclamation Water Resources Project Act
that authorizes $1.3 billion for three Bureau of Reclamation programs under which the Interior Secretary
may make 50-percent-matching grants and loans and provide loan guarantees to organizations and tribes
for small projects.

Reclamation Commissioner John Keys testified saying, "The Department recognizes the realities. of an
aging federal and nonfederal water infrastructure that will need rehabilitation during the next several
decades, and understands the many other future needs involving ecosystem restoration efforts, new
water supplies for increasing demands, and improvements in the quality of our rivers and streams...
However, the programs authorized by this bill would strain Reclamation's financial and administrative
resources and if enacted would make it even more difficult to meet our many other obligations.
Therefore, the Department cannot support S. 1882."

WSWC Meeting: The 139th meeting of the Western States Water Council was held on July 24-26, in
Bismarck, North Dakota. The meetings featured a visit from Beunett Raley, Assistant Secretary of
Interior for Water and Science. Mr. Raley spoke with the Legal Committee on the CALFED Bay-Delta
program reauthorization, the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and water management in the West, and the
federal role in state water adjudications.

The Council also addressed and adopted a number of positions, incl~ding positions renewing opposition
to repeal of the national plumbing efficiency standards
and restating the Council's position on reauthorization of
the Clean Water Act. A letter was approved expressing
the Council's concerns with specific provisions ofS.
1961, the Water Investment Act. The Council approved a Jobs/economy
letter in support of S. 2773, to create a program for
hydrogeologic characterization, mapping, modeling and
monitoring of the ground waters of the High Plains
Aquifer, while suggesting changes. Two letters were
adopted through the unanimous consent procedures of the Transportation/roads/transit
Council, which means the member state governors will
review them before being distributed. The first addresses
the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) TMDL
rulemaking process. The second raises certain concerns
with proposed legislation to reauthorize the Clean Water
Act as drafted by the Western Coalition of Arid States
(WESTCAS).

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Commemorative resolutions recognizing the Centennial
Celebration of the Reclamation Act and 30th Anniversary
of the Clean Water Act were also adopted.

The next WSWC meetings will be in Wichita, Kansas on
October 2-4, at the Hyatt Regency Hotel.

Statewide Issues

Statewide Survey: A statewide survey concerning
drought, water supply and storage has been completed by
the Parker Water and Sanitation District and Ciruli and
Associates,

Water issues have soared among public priorities, from

Education

21%

21%

Growth

19%

Water/drought

18%

13%

Taxes

5%

Budget/fiscal problems

3%

Environment

3%

Healthcare/insurance/Rx

3%

Guns 1%
Crime/drugs 1%
Death penalty 1%
Fires 1%
Senior issues 1%
(housing, social security reform)
Other 10%
Don't know 12%
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