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<br />REGIONAL \'lATER Al~D POdJ!:R DEVELOP(,IENT
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<br />Hestern States Vlater CO\.lucil
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<br />The Hestern States Uater Council (\1SHC) ',;as established by the
<br />Hestern Governor's COllference in 1964 alld 1965 to pro;ilOte effective
<br />cooperation ailong the eleven \Jesterj', states i" the integrated develop-
<br />inent of their ''later resources. California's COUl,cil delegates i., 1977
<br />Here Ronald B. Robie, Director of the Depart;;)cmt of Hater Resources,
<br />and vi. Don r,laughan, Vice Chair.nan of the State \Jater Resources Control
<br />Board. Th;:J third delegate, HOHard Uay, State Senator, 15th District,
<br />resiGned iu January, 1977. The Board's Chiof Engineer contillued to
<br />serVe as all advisor to the California delegatiou.
<br />
<br />For over a year, a task force of rcpreser~atives of the vrestern
<br />governors has beel1 studyi.r[; the f0r,Jation of a \lesterl1 Governors' Policy
<br />arfice (VmSTPO). This office Hould be directed by a c ouucil composed
<br />of a top assistant to each goverl!or, Hith a s,aall full-tL:le staff.
<br />Its purpose ~!Ould be to coordinate the activities of il!tcrstate organi-
<br />zations including the Uestern States Uater Council. The proposed VlESTPO
<br />~!8.S discussed at the \'Jesterll Governors' lileetil1g held in Anchorage,
<br />Alaska. ar the states currently ,aeiilbers of the USlIC, Arizol1a, Colorado,
<br />l'1ontana, ilie~J I,lexico, Utah, and Uyo,;1ing decided to j oil! while California,
<br />Idaho, i~evada, Oregon, al!c\ Vlecshington decided l10t to joill. HO\'Jever,
<br />the l'lestern Governors Confere.,ce, parent body of the \lester,r States
<br />Hater Council, Hill continue for another year and the US\'JC will contiuue
<br />its business as usual.
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<br />Durine 1977, the Council's actions of concern to the Board were
<br />as fol10'as:
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<br />1. A resolution eudorsing the general permit prograil approach
<br />as a lJlei~,nS of providillg ,:raxililU1ir flexibility to BPA and states in
<br />adiLlinistering all appropriate l1cr;:Jit progrlliil for agricultural activities
<br />and urged EPA, in preparil!g a final draft of the general j)ermit progra.i1
<br />regulations, to includ0 provision for approval of state permit progra:ls
<br />for agricultural activities \1here such ,)rograms progress toward iueeting
<br />the ~rater quality requirc;-Jents al!d e;oals of the Federal Hater Pollutiol!
<br />Control Act.
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<br />2. ProDosed a;,lendiilents to P. L. 92-500 regarding the control of
<br />pollutants fro;;' irrigated agriculture.
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<br />3. A resolution urgil'g the AcLJinistrator of the Etrviron;nental
<br />Protection Agency to recoGllize that the require,,]e,]ts and goals of thll
<br />Federal \'later Pollution Control Act must be bret in a iirarmer which
<br />1?rotects vested '.Jat.er rights est.ablished mlder st.ate la'Il and to adopt
<br />rules and regulations for Lilpleulentation of progra,Js under the Federal
<br />lJater Pollutior, Control Act \'Thich incorporate processes al!d procedures
<br />that afford flexibility and provide authority to state \Jater resource
<br />adJ,ril!istrators to apply the provisiollS of the Act iu such a .ilarmer as
<br />to achieve Llprove.ilent in \'Jater quality Hhile prot8ctillg Clxistillg rights.
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