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targeted by calling on the president to issue NPSP control regulations for such lands. Rep, Oberstar has apparently floated the draft bill in hopes of gaining widespread support by requesting input from many interests. Some support is reportedly building around the proposal, which is expected to eventually be debated as part of the broader CWA reauthorization. WATER RESOURCES Water Conservation The Texas Water Commission has adopted new water use efficiency standards, developed over the last two years with input from various interest groups, aimed at reducing the amount of water used by Texas urban areas. The regulations are expected to cut water use by 10% (from 175M gallons of water a day to 158M gallons a day) over a five year period. A 15% reduction is expected by the year 2020. State officials hope the measures will 'make Texas the national leader in water conservation.' They also predict financial benefits and a reduction in water pollution will result from the conservation efforts. WATERRESOURCES~~RONMENT California/Endangered Species Act California Governor Pete Wilson, citing 'unacceptable' federal preemption of California water policy and the need to end short-term regulatory confusion, asked state water officials to halt work on interim standards and shift their focus to establishing permanent standards to protect the San Francisco Bay and the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. Wilson noted the Board's interim standards would be moot because federal agencies 'for all practical purposes, have set interim standards under the authority of the Endangered Species Act [ESA].' He also said, 'I believe the wisest choice is for the Board to turn to the effort of establishing permanent standards within the California Environmental Quality Act and parallel to the effort of the Bay-Delta Oversight Council.' The National Marine Fisheries Service and the U,S. Fish and Wildlife Service have both sought to exercise jurisdiction on state water matters based on the ESA in their efforts to protect winter-run salmon and the Delta smelt IY'ISW #982, 976). Federal agency personnel have informed California that reductions in water supply under federal . standards will go beyond those offered In the Board's . draft Bay-Delta decision. The Board proposed interim standards that would have reduced water exports from the delta by an average of 800,000 acre-feet annually for five years fYo/SW #976). Federal proposals envision possible supply reductions of one to three million acre-feet annually to protect the smelt. According to the CalWornia Department of Water Resources, reductions of this magnitude represent more than haW of the water supplies jointly provided in California by the State Water Project and the Central Valley Project during a dry year. Governor Wilson is concerned with the effect of implementation of the ESA on water resource management in CalWornia. He noted in his letter to the board, 'This action by the federal government provides yet another illustration of why the... [ESA] needs to be amended to take Into consideration social and economic factors.... It is my intention to conduct hearings in California in an effort to form a consensus around needed changes to the [ESA].... I call on President Clinton to join me in proposing common sense revisions to the.. .Act.' WESTERN STATES WATER COUNCIL/MEETINGS . The Western States Water Council's 110th Quarterly Meetings will be held In Washington, D,C. on April 21-23 at the Quality Hotel Capitol Hill in conjunction with the Council's Fifth Biennial Water Policy Seminar. Senator Mark Hatfield (R-OR), author of legislation creating the Western Water Policy Review Commission, will speak and federal officials and a number of House and Senate committee staffers will speak or participate In roundtable discussions. For details see WSW #985. MEETINGS The Natural Resources Law Center (NRLC) of the University of Colorado Law School will offer a conference entitled "Water Organizations in a Changing Wesf' June 14-16, The meeting will address Issues facing urban and agricultural water supply and management organizations throughout the West, For registration materials or other information contact Kathy Taylor at NRLC (303) 492-1288, The WESTERN STATES WATER COUNCIL is an organization 01 representatives appointed by the Governors 01 . member stales - Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming, and associate member stale Oklahoma.