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HIGHLIGHTS
On April 21, WSWC staff conducted a full day of Congressional Hill visits, meeting with twelve offices including staff for House Appropriations and Science Committee chairs. Discussions covered a broad range of western water priorities including water data, drought, Indian water rights settlements, and Clean Water Act implementation.
On April 22, the WSWC and ICWP co-hosted a Joint Water Planners Conference featuring federal leaders from EPA, DOI, USDA, DOE, NOAA, and NASA, who discussed interagency coordination through the federal Water Policy Committee. An afternoon panel addressed how to effectively communicate water information to decision-makers amid growing data overload.
On April 23, WSWC members convened their Organizational Meeting, identifying data center impacts on water resources as a top Council priority and formally adopting two new Consolidated Positions on Water Data (#2026-01) and Water Infrastructure (#2026-02). Members also raised concerns about federal staffing and funding cuts threatening critical monitoring networks like USGS streamgages and SNOTEL stations.
On April 24, the WSWC-WestFAST Principals Meeting at EPA Headquarters focused on strengthening state-federal collaboration and building trust between state and federal water management personnel. Participants identified opportunities to better align federal assistance with State Water Plans and improve field-level relationships
On April 27, the House Interior Appropriations Subcommittee examined EPA’s FY2027 budget, with both Republican and Democratic members expressing plans to protect funding for State and Tribal Assistance Grants. On April 29, the Senate EPW Committee held a similar hearing, with bipartisan concern raised over cuts to the Clean Water and Drinking Water State Revolving Funds alongside discussion of WOTUS, PFAS liability, and lead removal efforts
On April 17, a bipartisan group of Arizona lawmakers wrote to Secretary Burgum and Assistant Secretary Travnicek expressing concern that the Post-2026 Colorado River Draft Environmental Impact Statement proposes an inequitable distribution of water reductions that threatens Arizona communities, tribal water rights, and key industries. The letter stressed the urgency of reaching a durable seven-state agreement before October 1, when new river operations must be in place to meet federal treaty obligations with Mexico.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
MEETINGS
The second WestFAST webinar of 2026 will be held on Thursday, May 7 at 11AM Mountain Standard Time. Mary Ann Dickinson, policy director of Land and Water for the Lincoln Institute of Land policy will lead the webinar, which will focus on water issues with data centers. This is a public webinar and no registration is required. Please visit westernstateswater.org/upcoming-westfast-webinars/.
CAREER OPPORTUNITIES
The Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership (TRCP) is seeking a Director of Western Water to advance federal and state policies that respond to today’s critical challenges facing freshwater resources in the Western U.S. The position will remain open until filled. For more information visithttps://www.trcp.org/employment/ or apply directly by clicking here.