National Waterways National Waterways ConferenceConference

5050thth Anniversary Annual Meeting Anniversary Annual Meeting

Boston, MassachusettsBoston, Massachusetts

September 22-24, 2010September 22-24, 2010

TT

Tony Willardson, Executive DirectorTony Willardson, Executive Director

Western States Water CouncilWestern States Water Council

The future growth and prosperity of the western states depend upon the availability of adequate quantities of water of suitable quality.

To ensure the West has an adequate, sustainable

supply of water of suitable quality to meet our diverse economic and environmental needs now and for

future generations.

Federal Cost Sharing Federal Cost Sharing ObligationObligation

• Direct or Indirect Project BeneficiaryDirect or Indirect Project Beneficiary

• Best Position to Finance and Recover CostBest Position to Finance and Recover Cost

• Best Finance, Recover/Bear Costs (Indirect)Best Finance, Recover/Bear Costs (Indirect)

• National Economic and Social (Env) GoalsNational Economic and Social (Env) Goals

Economic Stabilization & Income Economic Stabilization & Income or Wealth Redistributionor Wealth Redistribution

• Established Federal Right to Goods/ServiceEstablished Federal Right to Goods/Service

• Fulfill Federal Commitment or PromiseFulfill Federal Commitment or Promise

CC

1.1. Growth and Growth and Water PolicyWater Policy

2.2. Meeting Future Meeting Future Water DemandsWater Demands

3.3. Water Infra-Water Infra-structure Needs structure Needs and Strategiesand Strategies

4.4. Resolution of Resolution of Indian Water Indian Water Rights ClaimsRights Claims

5.5. Climate Change Climate Change ImpactsImpacts

6.6. ESA & Protecting ESA & Protecting Aquatic Species Aquatic Species

Army Corps of EngineersArmy Corps of Engineers

BureauBureau of Landof Land

ManagementManagement

Bureau of ReclamationBureau of Reclamation

Environmental ProtectionEnvironmental Protection

AgencyAgency

National Oceanic & Atmo- National Oceanic & Atmo- spheric Administration spheric Administration

Natural Resources Natural Resources

Conservation ServiceConservation Service

U.S. Fish & Wildlife U.S. Fish & Wildlife ServiceService

U.S. Forest ServiceU.S. Forest Service

U.S. Geololgical SurveyU.S. Geololgical Survey

U.S. Department of U.S. Department of EnergyEnergy

National Aeronautics and National Aeronautics and Space AdministrationSpace Administration

• Urge Congress to require federal Urge Congress to require federal water resource agencies to include water resource agencies to include “Integrated Water Resources “Integrated Water Resources Planning and Assistance” as one of Planning and Assistance” as one of their primary missions…to encourage their primary missions…to encourage more comprehensive plans, reducing more comprehensive plans, reducing inefficiencies, project-specific inefficiencies, project-specific responses, contradictory actions, and responses, contradictory actions, and hastily conceived reactions to the hastily conceived reactions to the latest real or perceived crisis.latest real or perceived crisis.

• Federal agencies should use state water Federal agencies should use state water plans to help determine national water plans to help determine national water policy and priorities that best align policy and priorities that best align federal agency support to states; and to federal agency support to states; and to inform decision making regarding inform decision making regarding regional water issues.regional water issues.

• Success in this endeavor will depend in Success in this endeavor will depend in large part on state initiative and large part on state initiative and innovation, since states have the pivotal innovation, since states have the pivotal role in water planning, as well as role in water planning, as well as allocating and protecting the resource.allocating and protecting the resource.

Decisions about where and how to Decisions about where and how to grow are rarely influenced by water grow are rarely influenced by water policy or by the availability of water policy or by the availability of water

2006 WGA Water Report2006 WGA Water Report

To encourage sustainable growth policies To encourage sustainable growth policies and plans, states should identify the waterand plans, states should identify the water

demands and impacts associated with demands and impacts associated with future growth.future growth.

Additionally, states should develop Additionally, states should develop integrated growth and water resource integrated growth and water resource scenarios so that the consequences of scenarios so that the consequences of various growth scenarios can be various growth scenarios can be evaluated for both the near and long evaluated for both the near and long term.term.

Water Policy and GrowthWater Policy and Growth• Need to integrate water resources and Need to integrate water resources and

land use planning.land use planning.

• Water moving from agricultural to urban Water moving from agricultural to urban uses. uses.

• Applications for new water use, water Applications for new water use, water right transfers, etc. should consider local, right transfers, etc. should consider local, tribal and watershed group plans.tribal and watershed group plans.

• Third party impacts should be Third party impacts should be considered, including adverseconsidered, including adverseeffects on rural communitieseffects on rural communitiesand the environment.and the environment.

Water Policy and GrowthWater Policy and Growth

• Water and Land Use Planning Water and Land Use Planning SymposiumSymposium

Denver, CO – September 2009Denver, CO – September 2009

• Ag-Urban Water Transfers Work GroupAg-Urban Water Transfers Work Group

• WGA Renewable Energy/Water NexusWGA Renewable Energy/Water Nexus• Exempt Wells Report – Exempt Wells Report – Published in March Published in March

in Environmental Law Journal by Lewis & Clark Law in Environmental Law Journal by Lewis & Clark Law SchoolSchool

Meeting Future Water Demands Meeting Future Water Demands

• More storage and innovative optionsMore storage and innovative options

Water Reuse, Desalination, Weather ModWater Reuse, Desalination, Weather Mod

• National Water Needs & Use AssessmentNational Water Needs & Use Assessment

• Quantifying Supplies & Demands (w/data)Quantifying Supplies & Demands (w/data)

• Importance of existing observation and Importance of existing observation and remote sensing capabilities -remote sensing capabilities -

NRCS Snow Survey Program NRCS Snow Survey Program

USGS Streamgaging ProgramsUSGS Streamgaging Programs

Landsat Thermal Infrared for ETLandsat Thermal Infrared for ET

Kc

0.00

0.3

0.6

0.9

1.2

1.4

ET from individual fields is essential for:Water Rights, Water Transfers, Farm Water Management

Why use High Resolution Imagery?

ET from Landsat 5with thermal sharpened to 30 m

(Kc = ETact / ETref)

Imperial Valley, CAvia Landsat 7

ET (mm)0

100

200

300

400433

Imperial Valley

ET during January – March, 2003

Water Infrastructure Needs/StrategiesWater Infrastructure Needs/Strategies

• 2008 DC Seminar (summary in WGA rpt)2008 DC Seminar (summary in WGA rpt)

• Federal State Revolving Fund (CW & DW)Federal State Revolving Fund (CW & DW)

• Rural Water Supply Act – Loan GuaranteesRural Water Supply Act – Loan Guarantees

Needs Assessment (USBR)Needs Assessment (USBR)

• Shared Water Vision & P&GsShared Water Vision & P&Gs

• Review State Water PlanningReview State Water Planning

• Omnibus Public Lands Act (Settlements) Omnibus Public Lands Act (Settlements)

• Reclamation FundReclamation Fund

• San Antonio, TX Symposium Nov. 8-10San Antonio, TX Symposium Nov. 8-10

Resolution of Indian Water Resolution of Indian Water Right ClaimsRight Claims

• Water Rights Settlement FundWater Rights Settlement Fund

• WSWC/NARF Settlement SymposiumWSWC/NARF Settlement Symposium

Lummi Reservation WA – Aug. Lummi Reservation WA – Aug. 20092009

• DOI Quarterly Conference CallsDOI Quarterly Conference Calls

• Settlement Criteria and StandardsSettlement Criteria and Standards

• Off-Reservation Tribal Trust/Fee Lands Off-Reservation Tribal Trust/Fee Lands

• Ground Water IssuesGround Water Issues

Climate Change ImpactsClimate Change Impacts

• NIDIS Workshops – Lincoln, NE NIDIS Workshops – Lincoln, NE

& San Francisco, CA & San Francisco, CA

• National Mtg - Washington, DC Sept National Mtg - Washington, DC Sept 14-1514-15

• WGA 2009 Climate Resolution WGA 2009 Climate Resolution

Call for National Climate ServiceCall for National Climate Service

• WGA Climate Adaptation WorkgroupWGA Climate Adaptation Workgroup

• Integration in State Water PlansIntegration in State Water Plans

ESA and Aquatic ResourcesESA and Aquatic Resources

• State Water Rights and ToolsState Water Rights and Tools

• State Instreamflow ProtectionsState Instreamflow Protections

• Series of Western State WorkshopsSeries of Western State Workshops

• ESA/State Water Rights Protocol ESA/State Water Rights Protocol

• Renew Discussion with U.S. Fish & Renew Discussion with U.S. Fish & Wildlife and National Marine Fisheries Wildlife and National Marine Fisheries ServiceService

Tony Willardson, Executive DirectorTony Willardson, Executive Director

Western States Water CouncilWestern States Water Council

www.westgov.org/wswcwww.westgov.org/wswc

801-685-2555801-685-2555

twillards@wswc.state.ut.ustwillards@wswc.state.ut.us