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. 001671 November 13, 1992 Issue No, 965 WESTERN STATES WATER TIJE WEEKLY NEWSIETfER OF TIJE WESlERN STATES WAlER COUNCIL Creelcview Plaza. SUite A-201 I 942 East 7145 So. IlIidvale. Utah 84047 I (801) 561-5300 I FAX (801) 255-9642 editor - Tony Willardson typist - carrie curvin E~RONMENTNVATERRESOURCES California . The California Department of Water Resources has announced that the state's drought water bank CNSW #957) has purchased 15,000 acre feet of water from Merced Irrigation District (MID) to enhance habitat for migrating chinook salmon. MID will use $750,000 from the sale to build a permanent water conveyance facilily to the federal Merced National Wildlife Refuge. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has approved the sale. The conveyance facilily is scheduled for completion in the spring of 1995. MID is required to provide up to 15,000 acre feet annually to the refuge as a condition of its Federal Energy Regulatory Commission license to generate hydropower at New Exchequer Dam on the Merced River. If the conveyance facility had already been constructed, the water would be delivered to the Merced Refuge for use on wetlands. MID said the agreement was struck so the drought bank could deliver a full allocation of water this year to the California Department of Fish and Game. Water will be released from now until the end of the month to benefit the fall chinook run. WATER RESOURCESNVATER aUAUTY Corps Omnibus BilVStormwater Discharges . On October 31, President Bush signed H,R. 6167, the Omnibus Water Resources Water Development Act of 1992 (WSW#954). H.R. 6167 is a compromise that was worked out by Senate and House committee staff, introduced October 5, and passed October 8. On the Senate floor, Daniel Patrick Moynihan, Chairman of Public Works' Water Resources Subcommittee, called its enactment 'an historic occasion' given it is the fourth consecutive Corps' authorization bill since 1986, and the longest chairman - Dave Kennedy executive director - Craig Bell continuous series of water resources acts in the Nation's history. He added, 'This bill provides for the conservation and development of our valuable water resources. It provides for improvements to the Nation's commercial waterways and ports and harbors. It provides for environmental protection and restoration. It also provides jobs.... The economic benefits of this bill touch nearly all 50 States. With passage of this bill..., about $4 billion would be invested in America's future. The 22 new projects authorized for construction account for $3 billion in infrastructure improvements.... A little more than haif the cost of these projects would be borne by non- Federal sponsors. On that basis, the water development program cannot be seen to be a wasteful or bloated consumption of public goods. Our water resources program is a nationwide investment partnership between the government and the state and local beneficiaries.' In addition to Corps projects and programs, the bill addresses EPA's water programs. Senator Max Baucus (D-Ml) noted the bill extends an exemption from stormwater discharge permitting requirements for communities under 100,000 persons, adding, 'Unfortunately, it was not possible to pass a comprehensive Clean Water Act reauthorization bill this year. I expect to reintroduce comprehensive ...Iegislation next year...[which] will include several needed changes to the stormwater permit program.... [H.R. 6167] will benefit small communities by removing any uncertainly concerning whether they must seek discharge permits..... The Natural Resources Defense Council criticized the extension. It had announced its intention to sue EPA for failing to meet the original October 1 deadline for issuing stormwater regulations for small communities. H.R. 6167 also requires EPA and the Corps to conduct a sediment decontamination research