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<br />It is interesting to me that 1977 speaking generally:~as about.~he <br />driest year of record comparable to 1924 and we ha.d art abUlldartce of <br />rainfall, precipitation, in the year 1977-78.. You. average those two <br />condtions together and you come out with something very close to <br />normal. So normal was an artificial situation that isn I t really an <br />average of extremes as I'm concerned. 'rurning to anothe.r subject that <br />has to do with Federal-State water matters ,early in this report period, <br />Governor Brown on January the 13th met with Vice President Mondale <br />and 12 of the Governors of the otherweste11l and midwestern.statesin <br />Sparks. Nevada. At that meeting the Governor presented the Vice Presi- <br />dent and Secretary Andrus, of the Department of the I.nterior,. .wi th. a <br />sh~rt statement relative to coordinated Federal-State activities with <br />respect to California water. I won't read all of that statement but <br />there were a couple of items that are significant. . . That is California <br />requested a negotiation of permanent agreements for joint operation <br />of the State and ~ederal Water Projects. Joint Federal~Statedrafting <br />of appropriate Federal legislation to implement thewate:t; quality <br />conunitment of the Federal Government as stated in thereconunendations <br />of the San Luis Task Force, Immediate joint,Federal-State negotiations <br />with Uelta Water Agencies to settle water rights and provide new water <br />quality protection. There We1e others at the time that are not,appro- <br />priate today, Another area, Federal-State water, has to. do with dam <br />safety. California has been quite active in this in recent years. <br />On March 17, Deputy Director Robin Reynolds , who 1'm sure many of <br />YOu know, he is retiring incidentally if you are not aware , appeared <br />L.efore the Congressional Senate Subconunittee regarding California 's <br />comprehensive and effective dam safety program, The statement, also <br />noted California's support of Federal legislation to provide a.ssistance <br />to th.. states in developing and implementing dam safetyprQgrams. <br />~nother area, a particularly significant.development in .Federal-State <br />wster matters, was the recent Supreme CQurtdecision.regarding California <br />versus the United States This decision held that the Federal Government <br />in acquiring water rights for reclamation projects is required to <br />obselve the substance as well as the form of state water rights laws. <br />This was precipitated by the so caped New lolel one s decision. Regarding <br />another current active issue is the acreage limitations~nderFederal <br />Reclamat ion law. The Department has developed a post tion paper on <br />this. In summary, the position is that proposed Federal. regulations <br />need to be changed .to clarify that acreage limitations do not apply <br />to 'he State Water Project. That's because of the construction of <br />the j01nt San Luis Facilities of the S,tate Water Project. We have <br />had the p~ sage of the California safe drinking water bond law. On <br />June 30 that bill was signea by the. Governor implementing the grant <br />provisions of the safe drinking water .bondlaw. . ,This is a $175 million <br />bond law to. assist cities and municipalities and various organizations <br />in upgrading their systems. The bill signed on the 30th reserved <br />$15 million of the $175. mi11.ion for grant provisions, these are people <br />who are unable to pay the cost of. retiring bonds even at low interest <br /> <br />B-16 <br /> <br />r <br /> <br /> <br />l <br />