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diligently towards enhanced coordination of federal programs to protect ecosystems. She noted that the agency's 1993 budget should spark innovation, explaining that $47M Is Included in the FY93 economic stimulus plan for mitigation of non-point source pollution, demonstrating the administration's commitment to watershed protection and restoration. She praised Interior Secretary Babbit for his proposal to develop a national biological survey, and noted that EPA Is committed to 'moving beyond strict application of standards. ..to ecosystem protection.' WATER RESOURCES Water Supply Outlook According to the Soil Conservation Service, spring and summer streamflows are expected to be near or well above average for much of the West, with the exception of the Missouri River Basin and the northern Columbia River Basin. Similarly, snowpacks are above to well above average in southwestern states, but are declining in northern states. Precipitation follows a similar pattern.. Most western states report reservoir storage is less than half of average. Only Arizona, Colorado and New Mexico have above average storage. On March 20, the Palmer Index indicated extreme drought conditions continue in northeast Oregon and central Washington, while severe drought conditions remain in southeastern Idaho and northwestern Montana. Two or three times average snowpack covers much of Alaska's interior from the headwaters of the Yukon to near Anchorage. Above average runoff is expected for the entire Arkansas River Basin ranging from 111 % along the mainstem to 156% for some tributaries. Precipitation last month was 175% of average, snowpack about 136%, and reservoir storage about 118%. Precipitation across the entire Colorado River Basin has been well above average, and runofl forecasts h ve increased significantly. For the Upper Basin, inflo at Lake Powell should be over 10M acre- feet or 1 % of average. In the Lower Basin, streamflow orecasts range from 400% to 1100%. Prior to recent r Ins, forecasts for the Columbia River Basin had declin d 10-20% in the north, and also dropped Slightly in outhern Idaho and Oregon. Snake River flows are p ojected to be 90% in tributary basins, but only 60% i the mainstem. Columbia River runoff at the Dalles i forecast at 73% of average. In the Great Basin, runoff along the east slope of the Sierra and in the Humbolt Basin will be above average. Lake Tahoe is expected to spill over its . natural rim for the first time since September 1990. In Utah, with record snowpack, streamflow forecasts range from 80-130% of average in the north to 150- 400% of average in the south. Missouri River Basin runoff is forecast at 70-80%, except for the Platte River Basin, where flows should be near average. In the Rio Grande Basin forecasts rose 25% above February figures with precipitation at 200-300% of average. Runoff projections range from 246% in the Upper Pecos Basin to 109% along the malnstem and central Valley tributaries. In California, the best snowpack In a decade should produce up to 135% of average runoff along Sierra basins from the Feather River southward to the King River, with near average runoff expected in the extreme northern basins and the Kern River in the southern Sierras. Flood control releases have begun from Lake Oroville, a 3.5M acre-foot (Mal) reservoir that is part of the State Water Project. The state has increased projected water deliveries for the second time in two weeks, promising cities and farmers 85% of a record 3.85 Maf request. Early last December guaranteed deliveries were only 10%. The state project serves some 20 million people and 600,000 . acres of farmland. Also, the larger federal Central Valley Project has increased firm deliveries for farmers and cities north of the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta to 65% and 90% respectively. However, south of the Delta, deliveries will be limited by efforts to protect endangered fishes. Pumping from the Delta was shut down for almost two weeks to protect the winter-run Chinook salmon. The National Marine Fisheries Service and California Department of Fish and Game set a "take" limit of 1 % of the projected outgoing run from October 1 to May 31. Estimating total losses from fish salvaged at screens, about half the allowable "take" occurred during one week in February immediately before the shutdown. Pumping has been gradually resumed. PEOPLE Tom Maddock, Boyle Engineering Corporation Chair, was recently elected to the National Academy of Engineering (NAE). NAE is an elite body of highly regarded engineers which operates in tandem with the National Academy of Sciences. The WE RN STATES WATER COUNCIL is an organization of representatives appointed by the Governors of . member 51 es - fdaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, S uth qakota, Texas, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming, and associate member state Oklahoma