WSP07191

• File Number: 8021
• Description: Section D General Correspondence-Western States Water Council
• Date: 2/19/1966
• Title: Western States Water Council Meeting Attachment No 3-Western States Water Council
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Report/Study

Attachment No. 3

001301

WESTERN STATES WATER COUNCIL

Report by Executive Director
Phoenix, Arizona - February 19, 1966

Chairman Holmer, Members of the Western States Water Council and guests:
I think it appropriate that I should introduce myself a s Wright Hiatt, the first staff
employee of this Council. I want to express my sincere appreciation to each
member of the Council for placing this trust and confidence in me and to a ssure you
that I shall devote my entire efforts to the successful accomplishment of the Council's
programs and objectives.

As you know, our office is open in the Portland International Airport Terminal,
and we have a full-time secretary. If I'm not in the office, Mrs. Coleman will
normally know where I can be reached, or may be able to obtain information from
Council file s when urgently needed.

While we can thank our Chairman, Mr. Freeman Holmer, Judge DeConcini and
our other Arizona members for the excellent arrangements for this meeting here in
Phoenix, I have been assure d by the Chairman that hereafter the "Staff" will play
a more active part in them. I believe that we take over administratively by handling
the minute s of this meeting.

Our files are growing rapidly. Three Federal agencies--the U . S. Bureau of
Reclamation, the Corps of Engineers and the Department of Health, Education and
Welfare--have been prolific contributors. Arizona, California, New Mexico, Oregon
and Washington have furnished such basic information a s water laws, maps, State
organizations dealing with water, state budgeted funds for water activities, recent
State reports and studies, and brief descriptions of water progress in the State. I
hope that the other States will send along similar basic data soon.

I have called on the Governors of Oregon and Washington, and plan to try to
meet each of the others personally as soon as practicable. I was gratified at the
personal interest shown by Governors Hatfield and Evans in discussing the Council's
work, and I feel sure that the other Governors have this same personal interest. I
have screened the letters in the files from job applicants, and have scheduled
several interviews in the next few days with interested personnel. I hope the Council
Personnel Committee will continue to function and to give me guidance in timing for
filling vacancies and selection of individuals. I am inclined to proceed slowly in
this activity until the needs are more clearly defined.

I am enthusiastically optimistic that this Council is destined to play an
important and constructive part in the development of Western water resources--
for at least two basic reasons: