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<br />WATER RESOURCES
<br />
<br />Omnibus Reclamation Legislation
<br />The House and Senate have named conferees and
<br />negotiations may begin soon on the huge omnibus
<br />reclamation package of water projects and policy
<br />changes. The House passed H.R. 429 on June 18.
<br />On June 25, the House named Reps. George Miller
<br />(D-CA), Richard Lehman (D-CA), James Hansen (R-
<br />UT), John Rhodes (R-AZ), Craig Thomas (R-WY), Don
<br />Young (R-AI<) and Ron Marienee (R.MT) to participate
<br />in the conference. Rep. Wayne Owens, (D-UT) was
<br />named as a conferee for Titles II-VI, relating to the
<br />Central Utah Project. Other conferees were also
<br />named for some but not all of the 38 titles (CR H-
<br />5186). The Senate passed tts version of H.R. 429
<br />on April 10 ryvSW #936), On August 3, Senators
<br />Johnston, Bumpers, Ford, Bingaman, Wirth. Wallop,
<br />Hatfield, Domenici, Burns, Bill Bradley (D-NJ), Wyche
<br />Fowler (D-GA), Larry Craig (R-ID) and John Seymour
<br />(R-CA) were named as conferees. According to
<br />reports, Senator Johnston and others will attempt to
<br />significantly alter Senator Seymour's 'farmer-friendly"
<br />proposal regarding the Central Valley Project.
<br />
<br />ORGANIZATIONS
<br />
<br />Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations
<br />(ACIR)
<br />A senior advisory group on federal-state-Iocal
<br />cooperation and water governance assembled under
<br />the auspices of ACIR has distributed two work
<br />products. ACIR adopted a resolution prepared by the
<br />advisory group recommending creation of a national
<br />water resources governance review commission. its
<br />purpose is to build on a bill pending in the U.S.
<br />Senate to support the creation of a national water
<br />resources policy study commission. Senators Hatfield
<br />and Bradley sponsored S. 1228 to establish a
<br />commission comprised of ten members from
<br />Congressional committees and individuals appointed
<br />by the President. The Commission would be
<br />empowered to make comprehensive studies of
<br />western water Issues and to advise the Secretary of
<br />the Interior. In response to this legislation, the
<br />advisory group, co-chaired by Governor George
<br />Sinner of North Dakota and Mayor Robert Isaac of
<br />Colorado Springs, proposed that a congressionally
<br />enacted commission focus on water governance
<br />issues nationwide, that it have a 15 month duration,
<br />
<br />and that the study focus on the nation's water
<br />governance structures, policies, and programs, The
<br />advisory group recommended that the commission be
<br />structured to represent the broad array of interests
<br />involved, and/or affected by water decision making.
<br />
<br />I
<br />
<br />The resolution built on an earlier report prepared
<br />by the advisory group entitled, 'Coordinating Water
<br />Resources in the Federal System: The Ground
<br />Water-Surface Water Connection.' The report
<br />recommends: (1) better coordinated governance of
<br />water resources through state actions, interstate
<br />mechanisms, and federal restraint in mandating
<br />specific forms of coordination; (2) incentives for the
<br />removal of institutional barriers to the coordinated use
<br />of water resources, especially questions of water
<br />rights, disagreements among federal agencies, and
<br />proper pricing of water resources; and (3) improved
<br />water resource research, information and
<br />management training.
<br />
<br />PEOPLE
<br />
<br />Texas Water Commissioner Pam Reed has been
<br />appointed by Governor Anne Richards as an alternate
<br />member of the Western States Water Council. Ms.
<br />Reed will serve on the Council's Legal Committee.
<br />She received her undergraduate degree from the
<br />University of Colorado and her law degree from the
<br />University of Texas. In a recent letter she noted,
<br />"I...am excited about working with the Council....'
<br />
<br />~
<br />
<br />MEETINGS
<br />
<br />The Northwestern School of Law of Lewis and
<br />Clark College will hold a seminar on November 13
<br />entitled 'Navigability: Who Owns Our Waterways?'
<br />It will focus on the evolving law of title navigability and
<br />its impact on public and private rights in the 1990s.
<br />Former Arizona Governor Bruce Babbitt will be a
<br />featured speaker,
<br />
<br />PosmON OPENING
<br />
<br />The State of Nevada is seeking a Deputy Director
<br />for its Colorado River Commission, with offices
<br />located in Las Vegas. Minimum qualifications are a
<br />Bachelors degree and five years of water resources
<br />experience. Salary: to $50,778. For information call
<br />(702) 486-7060.
<br />
<br />The WESTERN STATES WATER COUNCIL is an organization of representatives appointed by the Governors .
<br />of member states - Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Nonh
<br />Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming, and associate member state Oklahoma
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