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<br />FY94, and $1B each year from 1995-98. The FY94
<br />money is not "new" to water quality. Rather, it would
<br />be transferred from the Clean Water Act SRF to the
<br />proposed SDWA SRF. In addition, to maintain state
<br />primacy, the proposal recommends a state fee
<br />program, borrowing concepts from the Clean Air Act.
<br />
<br />Also, to ensure the viability of small systems, new
<br />"non-viable" systems would be prohibited and "small
<br />system 'best available technology' programs" would
<br />be established. Such systems would require less
<br />expensive equipment than large systems. Another
<br />proposal would improve the process for selecting
<br />contaminants for regulation. Currently EPA must set
<br />standards for 25 contaminants every three years.
<br />Under the new proposal, EPA would use a risk-based
<br />assessment to determine which contaminants to
<br />regulate and could use timeframes of up to 60 months
<br />before regulations become fully effective.
<br />
<br />Reactions to the Administration's proposal have
<br />been mixed. Environmental groups have viewed them
<br />as a positive step, but are wary of the potential effects
<br />the many details needed to implement them. Rural
<br />water interests have expressed skepticism about the
<br />amount of relief they will receive.
<br />
<br />WATER RESOURCESIPEOPLE
<br />
<br />Bureau of Reclamation
<br />
<br />More changes are taking place at the Bureau of
<br />Reclamation. Veteran Deputy Commissioner Joe Hall
<br />quietly retired in July. Assistant Commissioner for
<br />Engineering and Research Darrell Webber retired on
<br />September 3, after 36 years of service, Congressional
<br />Liaison Russ Brown has announced he will retire early
<br />on October 15. Brown also served for many years on
<br />the Senate Energy Committee staff, with jurisdiction
<br />over the Bureau of Reclamation. He will remain in the
<br />Washington D.C. area and is pursuing consulting
<br />work. Other changes are expected in the future at the
<br />assistant commissioner and regional director levels,
<br />Moreover, the Bureau's Denver office again faces
<br />reorganization, with many of the technical and support
<br />staff returning to the regional offices from which they
<br />were transferred during the last reorganization, when
<br />services were consolidated in Denver. Of particular
<br />note, Ed Osann, the National Wildlife Federation's
<br />director of water programs, has been named as
<br />Reclamation's new director of policy.
<br />
<br />Water Supply Outlook
<br />
<br />According to the Palmer Index, pockets of drought .
<br />remain in central and western Washington, along the
<br />central California coast and in northeastern California,
<br />in northeastern Oregon, southeastern Idaho, central
<br />and western Nevada and southwestern Wyoming.
<br />However, reservoir storage is much better than last
<br />year. In California, the state's major reservoirs hold
<br />some 25.6 million acre-feet (MAF) of water, about
<br />12MAF more than last year. The elevation of Lake
<br />Tahoe is about 3.5 feet lower than normal, but two feet
<br />higher than last year.
<br />
<br />Record breaking precipitation caused devastating
<br />floods on the Mississippi this year, and the U.S. Army
<br />Corps of Engineers virtually discontinued releases
<br />from Missouri River reservoirs. After years of drought,
<br />Missouri River reservoirs have rebounded, and total
<br />system storage is near 57MAF, only 3.1MAF below
<br />average, and 12MAF more than last year. The
<br />multipurpose pools at Fort Peck and Garrison
<br />reservoirs are nearly full, and storage at Oahe has
<br />risen to occupy 20% of the flood control zone. Fort
<br />Peck is 13.8 feet higher than last year, Garrison 13.6
<br />feet, and Oahe 20 feet.
<br />
<br />While water supplies in the West have improved, .
<br />the Palmer Index indicates severe to extreme drought
<br />now grips the southeastern United States from Florida
<br />to West Virginia and covering all or parts of Virginia,
<br />Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia and North
<br />and South Carolina.
<br />
<br />ORGANIZATlONS
<br />
<br />ICWP
<br />
<br />The Interstate Council on Water Policy (ICWP) has
<br />released a series of position papers, which deal with
<br />the Clean Water Act, the Safe Drinking Water Act, the
<br />Endangered Species Act, and small town and rural
<br />development. They are revised versions of papers
<br />which were discussed at ICWP's 1993 Washington
<br />D,C. roundtable. The papers initially served as the
<br />basis for discussions with representatives from the
<br />administration and the Congress, and were later
<br />revised to reflect ideas and viewpoints offered by
<br />roundtable participants, Copies of the position papers
<br />are available. Call1CWP at (612) 223-5828.
<br />
<br />The WESTERN STATES WATER COUNCIL is an organization of representatives appointed by the Governors of .
<br />member states - Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota,
<br />Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming, and associate member state Oklahoma.
<br />
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