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. On'" Ie' P, ~ \li\Jt) , October 13, 1992 Issue No, 960 WESTERN STATES WATER \ ? ....... "- ~c1[ctvi; 7 , 1..9 199 CYvCS '<.~ , ,\.I TIIE WEEKLY NEWSLETIER OF TIIE WESTERN STATES WATER COUNCIL treekview Plaza, SUite A-201 I 942 East 7145 So. I Midvale, Utah 84047 I (801) 561-5300 I FAX (801) 255-9642 editor - Tony Willardson typist - carrie Curvin WESTERN STATES WATER COUNCIL . Quarterly Meetings The Western States Water Council held its 10Bth quarterly meetings in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on October 7-9, 1992. On Wednesday, October 7, the WSWC/Western Governors' Association IyVGA) Steering Group met. After Lorna Stickel of Oregon provided a review of the WGA/WSWC Park City workshops and the resulting Park City Principles, Council members provided input to prioritize, areas for potential change that would improve state water governance. These possibilities, as well as obstacles to achieving them, will be explored in a fourth workshop early next year, . On Thursday morning, the Council's FERC Subcommittee met to discuss recent correspondence from the Commission to the Council concerning a potential memorandum of agreement (MOA) between FERC and the states on federal hydropower permitting and state water resources administration, Work will proceed towards the goal of a MOA. The Council's Legal Committee began its meeting with a discussion of the Coeur d'Alene Tribe of Idaho v. Idaho case ryvSW #951) and the Big Horn River System general adjudication proceeding IyVSW #944), With respect to the latter, Wyoming State Engineer Jeff Fassett noted that the Shoshone and Northern Arapaho Indian tribes have decided not to appeal the Wyoming Supreme Court's most recent ruling, The committee also discussed the symposium the Council cosponsored with the Native American Rights Fund (NARF) on the settlement of Indian reserved water rights claims held last month ryvSW #956). The committee decided, based on initial staff consultation with NARF, to pursue a continuation of this event next fall. A panel discussion followed on improving efficiency in state general water right adjudication proceedings, Officials from Arizona, Idaho, and chairman - Dave Kennedy executive director - Craig Bell Washington, shared their views concerning methods used to improve efficiency in the general adjudication process, The ensuing discussion pointed out the complexity of large-scale general adjudications. Some committee members questioned the efficacy of such proceedings given current budgetary constraints. The committee concluded with a discussion of FERC proceedings on the lower Mokelumne project ryvSW #955) where the East Bay Municipal District in California is faced with the conflicts related to FERC's proceedings parallel to those of the California Water Resources Control Board with respect to the project and associated water rights, The committee discussed its 1993 work plan, The Water Quality Committee began its meeting with a presentation on EPA's ground water strategy implementation and draft guidelines on comprehensive state ground water protection programs by Ramona Trovato, Director of EPA's Ground Water Protection Division. Ms. Trovato described EPA's ongoing efforts, and provided a brief summary of comments the agency has received on its draft guidelines. She noted that another draft of the guidelines will be prepared in the near future for internal use by the agency and for review by the Office of Management and Budget. She encouraged western state officials to remain involved in EPA's strategy implementation. Next, the committee heard a report on Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) issues, including a new requirement that EPA prepare reports for Congress on SDWA implementation and a risk assessment of radon contamination, The committee proposed for consideration by the Council a related policy position, The committee also heard reports on a proposal to integrate water quality and water quantity management in the Montana State Water Plan and an update on the Clean Water Act reauthorization. The committee discussed its 1993 work plan.