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<br />THE WESTERN STATES WATER COUNCIL- <br />A PROGRESS REPORT <br /> <br />By RAPHAEL J. MOSES, Chairman <br />The Western States Water qouncil <br />Boulder. Colorado! <br /> <br />Mr. Chairman: <br /> <br />I am happy to be here today and to have the opportunity to report to the members of the Col- <br />orado River Water Users Association on the progress of the' Western States Water Council. Your organ- <br />ization, interested in keeping open lines of communication among the water users of your seven states, <br />should be particularly sensitive to the problems of an organization like the Western States Water Users, <br />which has a similar goal over a wider area. <br /> <br />The eleven western states are only beginning to approach regional water planning together. <br />However, if we look back, we see that we have made sub~tantial progress since the formation of the <br />Council in 1965. <br /> <br />Our situation is much like that of a hiker who continually walks up hill. Even if the grade is <br />slight and the hiker slow, in two years the point of beginning is far below. <br /> <br />The Western States Water Council has had moments when its pulse was slow, when its com- <br />plexion was pale, and when artificial respiration seemed the only possible salvation, but I am happy to re- ' <br />port, no mouth-to-mouth resuscitation has been required. $0 far, some administration of stimulants at <br />appropriate times has been adequate medicine. ' <br /> <br />What is the Western States Water Council? How did it come about? What is it supposed to do? <br />Is it doing it? <br /> <br />As a result of and by authority contained in resolutions adopted by the Western Governors' <br />Conference, the Western States Water Council was formed to foster cooperation among the States of <br />Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington and <br />Wyoming in the development of their water resources. Each state is represented on the Council by <br />three people, appointed by, and serving at the pleasure of the Governors or appropriate state author- <br />ity. <br /> <br /> <br />Legislative authority for participation in and support of the Western States Water Council ex- <br />ists in each of the eleven member states. Six of the member states (California, Idaho, Nevada, Mont- <br />ana, Utah and Wyoming) have named legislators among the three representatives on the Council. The <br />California legislature established an Advisory Committee; all the other member states have authorized <br />participation through the state engineer, the state water conservation or natural resources agency. Fi- <br />nancial support to the Council is shared equaUy among aU ieleven western states. <br /> <br />A leaflet setting forth the Council's Program for A~tion, its Rules of Organization and its Mem- <br />bership as of March I, 1967, has been distributed to y'ou and I will not repeat that information. <br /> <br />Because the Western States Water Council is an organization of states, established by governors <br />to express state views, its semi-official status, its indepel1dence of federal agencies - - aU these facts <br />invest us with a freshness of perspective and an independence of approach not, perhaps, available to <br />other groups. <br /> <br />There are three working committees, the Executiye Committee, the Water Policy and Legisla- <br />tive Committee, and the Water Resources Committee. Each state has one representative on each com- <br />mittee. <br /> <br />The Executive Committee performs the functionsjusually associated with such committees and <br /> <br />-42- <br />