Western States Water Council

2022 Summer (199th) Meetings
2022-08-02 08:00 - 2022-08-05 18:00 (America/Denver)
2022 WSWC Summer Meetings – Polson, MT – KwaTaqNuk Resort-Casino

The WSWC Summer (199th) Meetings were held in Polson, Montana on August 2-5, 2022. Polson is located about an hour north of Missoula or an hour south of Kalispell.

MEETING BRIEFING MATERIALS – Briefing Materials for the 199th Western States Water Council Meetings

MINUTES:
Water Resources Committee Minutes – August 4, 2022
Executive Committee Minutes – August 4, 2022
Water Quality Committee Minutes – August 4, 2022
Legal Committee – August 4, 2022
199th Full Council – August 5, 2022
AGENDAS
Water Resources Committee – August 4, 2022
Executive Committee – August 4, 2022
Water Quality Committee – August 4, 2022
Legal Committee – August 4, 2022
199th Full Council – August 5, 2022

MEETING SCHEDULE:
Tuesday, August 2
WOTUS Regional Concept Policy Workshop
Wednesday, August 3
The Western States Water Data Access and Analysis Tool (WestDAAT) Workshop
PRESENTATIONS
Thursday, August 4
Host State Presentation – Anna Pakenham Stevenson, Water Division Administrator, Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation

Water Resources Committee Meeting
National Alliance for Water Innovation Update – Peter Fiske, Director, National Alliance for Water Innovation

Building a Water Resilient West – Erica Siirila-Woodburn, Hydrology Research Scientist and Craig Ulrich, Research Geophysicist, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
WSWC House and Senate Legislative Testimony/Update – Ariel O’Callaghan, WSWC Intern

Water Quality Committee Meeting
Abandoned Hardrock Mines updates (2022 Good Sam bill and IIJA funding) – Erica Gaddis, Sr. Policy Advisor, WSWC
Report on WSWC Workshops on Regional WOTUS Approach – Erica Gaddis, Sr. Policy Advisor, WSWC

Legal Committee Meeting:
Diamond Valley Groundwater Management Plan – Micheline Fairbank, Deputy Administrator, Nevada Division of Water Resources
Utah 2022 Legislative Session: The Legislature Passed How Many Water Bills This Year? – Nathan Bracken, Partner, Smith Hartvigsen, PLLC
Friday, August 5
Full Council Meeting (199th)

WOTUS regional approach pre-workshop 2: Operationalizing regional concepts in western states
2022-07-11 10:30 - 13:30 (America/Denver)
The Western States Water Council hosted a series of workshops over the summer to further explore technical and policy elements of a regional approach to Waters of the United States (WOTUS) definitions. This was the second workshop held.
This workshop focused on the operational aspects of regional approaches to WOTUS. It followed the first pre-workshop that was held on June 21, which focused on regional classification schemes that could be applied to WOTUS determinations. Both pre-workshops were intended to be technical in nature and provide input to a policy focused discussion at the WOTUS workshop held in conjunction with the Council’s regular scheduled summer meetings in Polson, Montana. The output of both pre-workshops will be a technical white paper.
Meeting Materials

Agenda
Interactive Map of Regional Classification Schemes
Overview of the Workshop (Video)
Presentations:
Tracie Nadeau, Environmental Scientist, EPA Region 10: Streamflow Duration Assessment Methods Covering the West (Video)
Shelly Lemon, Surface Water Quality Bureau Chief, New Mexico Environment Department: New Mexico’s Hydrology Protocol for Surface Water Quality Management (Video)
Erin Jordan, Value Stream Manager, Arizona Department of Environmental Quality: Jurisdictional Evaluations in Arizona (Video)
Joshua Seeds, Forest Water Quality Analyst, Oregon Department of Environmental Quality: Water Typing & Protections during Forestry Operations in Oregon (Video)
Eric Hargett, Monitoring Program Assistant Supervisor, Water Quality Division, Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality: Estimating Flow Duration at Regional Scales Using Empirical Models – A Concept (Video)

WOTUS regional approach pre-workshop 1: Regional classification schemes
2022-06-21 10:30 - 13:30 (America/Denver)
Western States Water Council is hosting a series of workshops over the summer to further explore technical and policy elements of a regional approach to Waters of the United States (WOTUS) definitions.
This first pre-workshop (virtual) will focus on regional classification schemes that could be applied to WOTUS determinations. A second pre-workshop (virtual) will be held on July 11 to discuss operational aspects of regional approaches to WOTUS. Both pre-workshops are intended to be technical in nature to provide input to a policy focused discussion at the WOTUS workshop hosted with the summer Council meeting in August. The output of both pre-workshops will be a technical white paper.
Meeting Materials and Links

Agenda
Interactive Map
Presentation: Introduction to WOTUS Regional Approach Pre-workshop 1, Regional Classification Schemes, Erica Gaddis, PhD, WSWC (video)
Presentation: U.S. National Hydrography Program Watershed Boundary Dataset, Kimberly Jones, USGS (video)
Presentation: Ecoregions and Stream Flow Duration Assessment Methods, Brian Topping, USEPA (video)
Presentation: Regionalization of Federal Wetland Delineation, Kyle Gordon, USACE (video)
Presentation: Land Resource Regions (LRR) and Major Land Resource Areas (MLRA), Drew Kinney, NRCS (video)

Please contact Erica Gaddis (egaddis@wswc.utah.gov) for questions regarding the workshop series or for access to the virtual whiteboard and group survey used during the meeting.

Improving Snowmelt Runoff Forecasting
2022-06-01 00:00 (America/Denver)
The Western States Water Council and the California Department of Water Resources are cosponsoring a workshop on Improving Snowmelt Runoff Forecasting. Improving operational runoff forecasting to meet the needs of water managers and users is a challenge, particularly given limited agency budgets for observations, monitoring, research, development, and modeling. Climate change and variability seem to be driven faster than our science and technological advances. Moreover, it takes a relatively long period of time to put improvements in place and build confidence in accurate and durable projections. The purpose of this one-day workshop is to explore our present capacity and opportunities to take the next steps to improve runoff forecasting.
MATERIALS:
Agenda
Pre-Registrants List
USBR – West-Wide Climate and Hydrology Assessment (2021)
MEETING REGISTRATION: There is no registration fee to attend, but we are asking all individuals, regardless of in person or virtual attendance to please register in advance. Please fill out only one of the appropriate forms below. If you have any questions, please contact Julie Groat at jgroat@wswc.utah.gov.

In Person Registration ONLY: In Person Registration Form

Virtual Attendance ONLY: Virtual Registration Form
MEETING FACILITY: The workshop is being held in Salt Lake City, Utah on June 1, 2022 at the Utah Department of Environmental Quality building located at 195 North 1950 West, Salt Lake City, UT 84116. The workshop will begin at 8:30 am and conclude by 3:30 pm.
ACCOMMODATIONS:
For those needing to arrive on Tuesday evening, May 31, or leave later, there are a few hotels nearby the meeting facility. All provide shuttle service to/from the Salt Lake City airport and are within walking distance of the meeting space and Trax light rail (which runs to the airport and/or downtown).
Radisson Hotel Salt Lake City Airport, 2177 West North Temple, Salt Lake City, UT, 84116
Holiday Inn Express Salt Lake City Airport East, 200 North 2100 West, Salt Lake City, UT, 84116
Comfort Suites Airport, 171 North 2100 West, Salt Lake City, UT, 84116

Workshop on Improving Sub-seasonal to Seasonal Precipitation Forecasting to Support Water Management
2022-05-17 00:00 - 2022-05-19 00:00 (America/Denver)
The Western States Water Council and the California Department of Water Resources cosponsored a recurring workshop to continue a dialogue among western states, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and the research community on improving sub-seasonal to seasonal (S2S) precipitation forecasting to support water management decision-making.
Improving precipitation forecasts at lead times longer than a two-week weather forecast would support many water management activities, including preparedness and response to drought conditions that are again gripping much of the western U.S. Workshop presentations included recently developed experimental research forecast products for California and the Colorado River Basin, predictability analyses, the status of efforts to begin a western pilot project to improve forecasting, model development activities, and examples of needs and potential applications for improved forecasts.
AGENDA: S2S Workshop Agenda
PRESENTATIONS
May 17
David DeWitt – Legislative and Programmatic Drivers for Improving Sub-Seasonal to Seasonal (S2S) Precipitation Forecast Skill (video)
Matt Switanek – Improving Cool-Season Precipitation Forecasts Across CONUS and the West (video)
Chuck Collum – Law of the Colorado River, Current Conditions 2022 (video)
Michael Anderson – Seasonal to Interannual Prediction in a Dynamic Climate (video)
Jeanine Jones – Motivation for Improving Seasonal Precipitation Forecasting (video)
Joe Barsugli – Colorado River Drought, Past, Present, and Future (video)

May 18
Angel Munoz – Winter Precipitation Scenarios for the Western United States: Bridging Subseasonal and Seasonal Forecasts (video)
Phil Mote – A Changing Climate in the Klamath Basin (video)
Duane Waliser – Overview of Predictability & Experimental Forecasting Work for California & the Upper Colorado River Basin (video)
Mike DeFlorio – Understanding Relative Skill of Experimental S2S Forecasts (video)
Xianan Jiang – Why seasonal prediction of California winter precipitation is challenging? (video)
Gudrun Magnusdottir – Atmospheric Drivers in California Precipitation Transitions (video)
Agniv Sengupta – Exploring an Evolution-centric Statistical Technique for Improving Seasonal Prediction Forecasting (video)
Agniv Sengupta – S2S Prediction of Winter Precipitation: Exploring Novel Statistical and Machine Learning Methods (video)
Sarah Baker – Potential for Incorporating S2S Forecasting in USBR Colorado River Basin Modeling (video)
John Lhotak – Challenges Applying S2S Forecasting to Hydrology (video)
May 19
Cary Talbot – U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Water Management Perspectives on Improving S2S Precipitation Forecasting (video)
Andy Robertson – S2S Weather Regime Prediction (video)
Nelun Fernando – Texas Water Development Board’s Experience with Seasonal Rainfall Forecasts and the Upcoming FIRO Pilot Project (video)
Emerson LaJoie – CPC’s Experimental Water Year Outlook Tool (video)
Jay Jasperse – Lake Mendocino Forecast Informed Reservoir Operations (video)
David Rizzardo – S2S Precipitation Forecasts & Snowmelt Runoff Forecasting (video)
MEETING FACILITY: Doubletree by Hilton San Diego Downtown, located at 1646 Front Street, San Diego, California 92101.

2022 WSWC Spring (198th) Meetings and Washington Roundtable
2022-04-05 00:00 - 2022-04-07 00:00 (America/Denver)
The WSWC Spring (198th) Meetings and Washington Roundtable will be held in Crystal City, Virginia on April 5-7, 2022. This event is sponsored jointly by the Interstate Council on Water Policy (ICWP), the National Water Supply Alliance (NWSA), and the Western States Water Council (WSWC).
WSWC Briefing Materials: Spring 2022 WSWC (198th) Meeting Materials

MINUTES:
Executive Committee – April 5, 2022
Water Resources Committee – April 5, 2022
Water Quality Committee – April 5, 2022
Legal Committee Meeting Minutes – April 6, 2022
Full Council (198th) Meeting – April 6, 2022
Joint Roundtable Materials: WSWC-ICWP-NWSA Roundtable Briefing Materials
WSWC-ICWP-NWSA Roundtable Agenda

JOINT MEETINGS PRESENTATIONS
April 4, 2022
Federal Water Resources Data Programs
Chad Wagner, Program Coordinator, Groundwater and Streamflow Information Program, USGS
Mindi Dalton, Program Coordinator, Water Availability and Use Science Program, U.S. Geological Survey (USGS)
Lori Sprague, Program Manager, Integrated Water Availability Assessments, USGS
Brian Clark, Acting Drought Program Manager, Water Availability and Use Science Program, USGS
Brian Ebel, Research Hydrologist, USGS
Dwane Young, Chief, Water Data Integration Branch, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
Stephen Aichele, Topographic Data Services, USGS
Non-federal Water Resources Data Management Initiatives
Peter Colohan, Director, Internet of Water
Adel Abdallah, WaDE Program Manager, WSWC Water Data Exchange
Integrating State and Federal Resources for Water Planning
Micheline Fairbank, Deputy Administrator, Nevada Division of Water Resources and Jennifer Carr, Deputy Administrator, Nevada Division of Environmental Protection
Roger Gorke, Senior Policy Advisor, Office of Water, EPA
Groundwater Management
Earl Lewis, Chief Engineer, Division of Water Resources, Kansas Department of Agriculture and Kenneth Titus, Chief Counsel, Kansas Department of Agriculture
Tom Buschatzke, Director, Arizona Department of Water Resources and Amanda Long-Rodriguez, AMA Planning Manager, Arizona Department of Water Resources
ICWP Interns Introduction – Spring Semester 2022
Kelly Shen, Duke University
Kimber Logan, University of Wyoming
Natalie von Turkovich, Duke University
Water Supply Studies and Forecasting
Glenn Page, retired, Cobb County‐Marietta Water Authority
Brad Hudgens, Water Supply Business Line Manager, Institute for Water Resources, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE)
Cary Talbot, Chief, Flood and Storm Protection Division, USACE
Basin Wide Water Planning and Climate Resilience
Cherie Schultz, Director, CO-OP Operations, Interstate Commission on the Potomac River Basin
Brandt Thorington, Director, Government Relations, Mississippi River Cities and Towns Initiative (MRCTI)
Kenny Blumenfeld, Senior Climatologist, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources State Climatology Office
David Wunsch, State Geologist/Director, Delaware Geological Survey
State Water Infrastructure Projects and Financing
Brooke Paup, Chairwoman, Texas Water Development Board
Jeff Walker, Executive Administrator, Texas Water Development Board
Candice Hasenyager, Director, Utah Division of Water Resources
Andrea Travnicek, Director, North Dakota Department of Water Resources
April 6, 2022
DOI Roundtable Discussion
Tanya Trujillo, Assistant Secretary for Water and Science, U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI)
Michael Brain, Deputy Commissioner, Bureau of Reclamation
Don Cline, Associate Director for Water, USGS
EPA Roundtable Discussion
Raffael Stein, Director, Water Infrastructure Division, EPA
John Goodin, Director, Office of Wetlands Oceans and Watersheds, EPA
US Army Corps of Engineers
Amy Frantz, Senior Policy Advisor, Civil Works Directorate, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
NOAA Roundtable Discussion
Mary Erickson, Acting Director, National Weather Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
Ed Clark, Director, National Water Center & Deputy Director Office of Water Prediction (OWP), NOAA
Tom Graziano, Director of the Office of Water Prediction (OWP), NOAA
USDA Roundtable Discussion
Homer Wilkes, Under Secretary for Natural Resources and Environment, USDA
Astor Boozer, Regional Conservationist-West, Natural Resources Conservation Service, USDA
Barnie Gyant, Deputy Associate Chief, USDA Forest Service
NASA Roundtable Discussion
Lawrence Friedl, Director, Applied Sciences Program, Earth Science Division, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and Bradley Doorn, Program Manager, Water Resources (NASA)
Congressional Panel Discussion with Key Committee Staff
House Agriculture Committee: John Busovsky
House Natural Resources Sub. on Water, Oceans and Wildlife: Matt Muirragui, House Transportation and Infrastructure Sub. on Water Resources and Environment: Logan Ferree/Ryan Hambleton
Senate Energy and Natural Resources: Melanie Thornton/Brian Clifford
WSWC MEETINGS / AGENDA / PRESENTATIONS
Tuesday, April 5
WSWC Executive Committee Meeting
WSWC Water Resources Committee Meeting
– Elizabeth Ossowski, National Integrated Drought Information System
– Cara McCarthy, National Water and Climate Center
WSWC Water Quality Committee Meeting
– Mary Lou Soscia, Federal Baseline Water Quality Standards for Indian Reservations

Wednesday, April 6
WSWC Legal Committee Meeting
WSWC 198 Full Council Meeting
Meeting Venue:
The meetings were held at the Doubletree Hotel – Washington DC Crystal City located at 300 Army Navy Drive in Arlington, Virginia.

CRWUA 2021 WestDAAT Pre-Design Engagement Workshop
2021-12-15 13:30 - 15:00 (America/Los_Angeles)
On December 15, 2021, the Western States Water Council (WSWC) in cooperation with the Colorado River Water Users Association (CRWUA) held a workshop as part of CRWUA’s 2021 Annual Meeting in Las Vegas. The workshop was a pre-design engagement event for the Western States Water Data Access and Analysis Tool (WestDAAT). WestDAAT will provide user-friendly and standardized access to water rights and water use data for eighteen western states.

We are very thankful to the participants’ time and feedback and to our collaborators at the Internet of Water for facilitating the workshop. We summarized the key feedback and suggestions provided by event participants in this report: WestDAAT_CRWUA_Report_03_22_2022

WSWC Fall 2021 (197th) Meetings
2021-09-14 00:00 - 2021-09-16 00:00 (America/Denver)
South Dakota hosted the WSWC Fall 2021 (197th) meetings in Deadwood, South Dakota on September 14 – 16, 2021.
MEETING BRIEFING MATERIALS – Briefing Materials _2021 Fall Meetings (197)_ Deadwood (24.4 MB)
Tab J – Report Links:
CAWA “Meeting Colorado’s Future Water Supply Needs” – September 2008
The Water Efficiency and Conservation State Scorecard-DRAFT-April-26-2012

MINUTES
Executive Committee Minutes – Sep14, 2021
Water Resources Committee Minutes – Sep 14, 2021
Legal Committee Minutes – September 14, 2021
Water Quality Committee Minutes – September 15, 2021
Full Council Committee Minutes – September 16, 2021

MEETING SCHEDULE and AGENDA
Schedule of Meetings_Fall Meetings_2021Sep14-16
Note: Times listed are in the Mountain Daylight Time Zone
Tuesday, Sep 14
8:00 – 8:45 am Host State Presentation
8:45 – 11:45 am Water Resources
12:00 – 1:15 pm Executive Committee
1:30 – 5:30 pm Legal Committee
6:00 – 7:00 pm Social Hour – sponsored by AE2S, LRE Water, and RESPEC
Wednesday, Sep 15
7:45 -10:45 am Water Quality Committee
11:00 am – 5:00 pm Field Trip sponsored by Burns & McDonnell
Thursday, Sep 16
8:00 -11:00 am Full Council_197th_Fall Meeting

PRESENTATIONS
September 14, 2021
Host State Presentation – South Dakota Host State Presentation – Hunter Roberts, Secretary, SD Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources
Water Resources Committee
The Basin Characterization Model: Characterizing Drought and Water Supply – How dry is it really?
– Dr. Lorraine Flint, Senior Scientist, Earth Knowledge, Inc., U.S. Geological Survey, retired
Open Source, Inter-Connected, Cloud-Based Water Management – Jim Schneider, Olsson
WaDE Update_Sep2021 – Adel Abdallah and Tony Willardson

Legal Committee

Wild & Scenic Rivers Workshop (Video excerpts)
Case Studies: Negotiating Flow Protection for Wild & Scenic Rivers
a. Idaho – Clive Strong, Legal Director for Natural Resources and Environment, Conference of Western Attorneys General
Understanding the Snake River Basin Adjudication excerpt
b. Wyoming – Sue Lowry, Executive Director, Interstate Council on Water Policy
Wild & Scenic River Management Standards and Implications For Water Rights – Roy Smith, BLM Colorado/Utah, Wild & Scenic Rivers Program Lead
Quantification of Federal Reserved Water Rights For Wild & Scenic Rivers – Roy Smith, BLM Colorado/Utah, Wild & Scenic Rivers Program Lead
Full Appropriations in South Dakota – Eric Gronlund, Chief Engineer, Water Rights Program, SD Dept of Agriculture and Natural Resources
September 15, 2021
Water Quality Committee
Arizona NPDES Tools – Trevor Baggiore, Director, Arizona Water Quality Division
September 16, 2021
197th Full Council Meeting
WestFAST Update – Sept 2021 – Roger Gorke, WestFAST Chair
Meeting Venue:
The WSWC meetings were held at the Holiday Inn Express & Suites located at 22 Lee Street in Deadwood, South Dakota.

2021 Symposium on the Settlement of Indian Reserved Water Rights Claims
2021-08-24 00:00 - 2021-08-25 00:00 (America/Denver)
The Native American Rights Fund (NARF) and Western States Water Council (WSWC) cosponsored their 17th biennial Symposium on the Settlement of Indian Reserved Water Rights Claims on August 24-25, held virtually for the first time due to COVID-19 concerns.
MEETING MATERIALS – for download
To view a recording of the meetings please click here.
PowerPoint Presentations are available below.
August 24, 2021
Negotiation Of Indian Water Rights Claims
Navajo Nation:
Stanley Pollock, Contract Attorney, Navajo Nation Department of Justice
Norm Johnson, Natural Resources Division Director, Utah Attorney General’s Office
Justin Record, Water Rights Coordinator, Bureau of Reclamation
Aamodt:
Alice Walker, Pueblo of Nambe; Richard Hughes, Pueblo of Tesuque; and Peter Chestnut, Pueblo of San Ildefonso
Kickapoo:
David Barfield, Kansas Water Resources Consulting, LLC
August 25, 2021
The Administration’s Settlement Policy
Pam Williams, Director, Secretary’s Indian Water Rights Office, Department of the Interior
Settlement Legislation: Getting Bills Through Congress
Matthew Muirragui, Staff Director, Sub. on Water, Oceans and Wildlife, House Natural Resources Committee
Colorado River Water and Tribes Initiative
Bidtah Becker, Associate Attorney, Navajo Tribal Utility Authority; and Heather Tanana, Assistant Research Professor of Law, University of Utah

WSWC Summer 2021 (196th) Meetings
2021-06-23 00:00 - 2021-06-25 00:00 (America/Denver)
The WSWC returned to in-person meetings in Summer 2021! The WSWC Summer (196th) Meetings were held in Cody, Wyoming on June 23-25, 2021.
MEETING BRIEFING MATERIALS for download (40.6MB) –
Briefing Materials – 196th WSWC Meetings – Cody, WY

MINUTES
Executive Committee Minutes – June 3, 2021
Water Resources Committee Minutes – June 23, 2021
Legal Committee Minutes – June 24, 2021
Water Quality Committee Minutes – June 24, 2021
Full Council (196th) Minutes – June 25, 2021

MEETING SCHEDULE and AGENDA
Wednesday, June 23
11:00 – 12:00 pm Section 401 Comment Opportunity with EPA
1:30 – 5:00 pm Host State Presentation and Water Resources Committee
Thursday, June 24
9:00 – 11:30 am Water Quality Committee
1:30 – 4:00 pm Legal Committee
5:00 – 6:00 pm Social Hour
Friday, June 25
9:00 -11:30 am Full Council (196th) Meeting
________________________________________
PRESENTATIONS
June 23, 2021
Host State Presentations:
Governor Mark Mark Gordon – Video
Wyoming Water Development Office – Brandon Gebhart, Director
Water Resources Committee
National Integrated Drought Information System (NIDIS) – Elizabeth Ossowski, Program Coordinator, NOAA NIDIS
National Water and Climate Center Water Supply Outlook – Cara McCarthy, Team Leader/Hydologist, Water and Climate Services, National Water and Climate Center, Natural Resources Conservation Service
Arizona Colorado River Shortage Mitigation Measures – Tom Buschatzke/Amanda Long Rodriguez, Arizona Department of Water Resources
Wyoming Weather Modification Program – Julie Gondzar, Cloud Seeding Program Manager, Wyoming Water Development Commission
Western States Water Partnership – Vern Tharp, Manager
WaDE Dashboard & Stan the State Engineer – Tony Willardson and Adel Abdallah

June 24, 2021
Water Quality Committee
Abandoned Hardrock Mines
a. Erica Gaddis, Utah Department of Environmental Quality
b. Trevor Baggiore, Arizona Department of Environmental Quality
c. Jennifer Carr, Nevada Division of Environmental Protection
Managing Sediment at Willwood Dam to Protect Downstream Fisheries – David Waterstreet, Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality
Wildfire and Water Quality – Chris Carlson, USDA Forest Service
Colorado Wildfires and Water Quality – Jeremy Neustifter, Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment
June 24, 2021
Legal Committee
Glen Canyon Dam Spillway (1983-1984) – Bill McCormick, Reclamation Civil Engineer, retired, and Gary Boring, Keo Civil, LLC
Audubon of Kansas v. Department of the Interior et al. (Impairment of Quivira National Wildlife Refuge in Kansas) – Kenny Titus, Kansas Department of Agriculture

June 25, 2021
196th Full Council Meeting
Water Resources Stewardship in Yellowstone National Park – Erin White, National Park Service, Yellowstone Center for Resources
The Internet of Water – Peter Colohan, Internet of Water Executive Director
Meeting Venue:
The WSWC meetings were held at the Holiday Inn at Buffalo Bill Village located at 1701 Sheridan Avenue in Cody, Wyoming.

Crop Condition and Soil Moisture Analytics (Crop-CASMA) System for Agriculture
2021-04-21 10:00 - 11:00 (America/Denver)
Soil moisture is a very important parameter in determining agricultural yield and productivity. The tool, Crop Condition and Soil Moisture Analytics (Crop-CASMA), provides access to high-resolution data from NASA’s Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) mission and the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) instrument in a user-friendly format. Soil moisture data are critical for professionals in the agriculture and natural resources sectors who use soil moisture in tandem with other data to plan crop planting, forecast yields, track droughts or floods, and improve weather forecasts. Crop-CASMA is available for free online at https://cloud.csiss.gmu.edu/Crop-CASMA/.
Presenter: Rajat Bindlish, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
Presentation slides: Bindlish_WestFAST_2021
Video link: https://youtu.be/E96wI0mRgt8

WSWC/ICWP/NWSA Washington, DC Roundtable (virtual)
2021-04-15 12:00 - 2021-04-16 09:00 (America/Denver)
The Western States Water Council, as well as the Interstate Council on Water Policy and the National Water Supply Alliance co-hosted a joint Washington, DC Roundtable in the Spring of 2021. The virtual event was held in two sessions on April 15 (noon to 3:30 p.m. Central) and April 16 (9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Central).
The program included updates from the US Geological Survey, NOAA-National Weather Service, US Army Corps of Engineers, National Integrated Drought Information System, US Environmental Protection Agency, and key congressional committee staff.
Thanks to all who attended and participated.
ROUNDTABLE AGENDA
Speaker Biographies
Registrant Lists:
April 15, 2021 – Wash DC Roundtable – Registration Report
April 16, 2021 – Wash DC Roundtable – Registration Report

PROGRAM (at a glance)
Thursday, April 15–12:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Central time
NOAA/National Weather Service
National Integrated Drought Information System update
US Geological Survey–Water Mission Area
US Geological Survey–NHD+ Mapping Update
Friday, April 16–9:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Central time
US Army Corps of Engineers
US Environmental Protection Agency
White House Council on Environmental Quality
Congressional panel

MEETING SUMMARY
Summary of Washington, DC Roundtable – 2021
PRESENTATIONS
National Weather Service
Mary Erickson – NOAA Water Resources Prediction and IDSS
Dr. Tom Graziano – NOAA Water Resources Prediction and IDSS
Dr. David DeWitt – Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Act of 2017: Sub-Seasonal and Seasonal (S2S) Forecasting Innovation (Public Law 115-25, Section 201)
Veva Deheza – National Integrated Drought Information System

U.S. Geological Survey
Dr. Don Cline – Water Resources Mission Area Briefing
Mindi Dalton – Water Resources Availability Portfolio (WRAP)
Chad Wagner – USGS Integrated Water Monitoring Initiatives
Vicki Lukas – 3D National Topography Model (3DNTM)
ICWP Intern Projects
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Stephen Hill – Director of Contingency Operations and Chief, Homeland Security, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Dr. Cary Talbot – Forecast Informed Reservoir Operations (FIRO)

WSWC Spring 2021 (195th) Meetings
2021-03-23 00:00 - 2021-03-25 00:00 (America/Denver)
The WSWC Spring (195th) Meetings were hosted virtually by the State of Texas on March 23-25, 2021.
MEETING BRIEFING MATERIALS for download (22MB) –
WSWC Briefing Materials – Spring 2021 Meetings

MINUTES
Executive Committee Minutes_Virtual Spring Meeting – Mar 5, 2021
Water Resources Committee _Virtual_Spring Meeting – Mar 24, 2021
Water Quality Committee Minutes – Virtual Spring Meeting – March 24, 2021
Legal Committee Minutes – Virtual Spring Meeting – March 25, 2021
Full Council (195th) Minutes – Virtual Spring Meeting – March 25, 2021

MEETING SCHEDULE – Schedule of Meetings – Spring 2021 – March 23-25
AGENDA
Friday, March 5 (Mountain Standard Time)
1:00 pm Executive Committee Meeting
_ _ _ _ _
Tuesday, March 23 (Mountain Daylight Time)
1:00 pm Meet and Greet
1:45 pm Overview of the New Website Design
2:00 pm Texas Host State Presentation / Virtual Field Trip
Wednesday, March 24
9:00 am Water Resources Committee
12:30 pm Water Quality Committee
Thursday, March 25
9:00 am Legal Committee
12:30 pm WSWC Full Council (195th) Meeting

PRESENTATIONS
March 23, 2021
Host State Presentations:
Texas Water Development Board (TWDB), Brooke T. Paup, Director, TWDB
Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ), Earl Lott, Director, Office of Water, TCEQ
Virtual Rio Grande Field Trip – Video
March 24, 2021
Water Resources Committee
FLOODS and PRECIP Act Needs and Benefits, Bill McCormick, President, Association of State Dam Safety Officials/Chief, Colorado Dam Safety
Corps Alternative Financing Program, Aaron Snyder, Program Manager
Texas State Water Planning, Financing, & Infrastructure, Kathleen Ligon, Special Advisory to Executive Administrator, TWDB
The WSWC Water Data Exchange (WaDE) Program: Update and Demo, Adel Abdallah, Program Manager, WaDE and Ryan James, Data Analyst
Water Quality Committee
Regulatory Authority for Oil and Gas Facility Discharges, David Galindo, Director, TCEQ
California Desal, Wendy Ridderbusch, Executive Director
March 25, 2021
Legal Committee
Universal Access to Clean and Safe Water, Bidtah Becker, Associate Attorney, Navajo Tribal Utility Authority, and Anne Castle, Senior Fellow, Getches-Wilkinson Center, University of Colorado Law School
Allocation of Conserved Water, Tom Byler, Director, Oregon Water Resources Department
195th Full Council Meeting
San Antonio’s Vista Ridge Pipeline Project, Weir Labatt, Retired, Central Texas Regional Supply Corporation
WestFAST Update, Patrick Lambert, WestFAST Chair

The Southwest Oklahoma Water Supply Action Plan
2021-03-17 10:00 - 11:00 (America/Denver)
Wednesday, March 17, 2021, at 10:00 AM MST
The goal of the Southwest Oklahoma Water Supply Action Plan (SWAP) is to bring the communities in the region together to work collectively toward securing the future of the region for decades to come. SWAP identifies steps to be taken to move Southwest Oklahoma forward in the face of increasing drought and securing a sustainable economy for generations to come.
Presenter
Duane Smith, ​Duane Smith & Associates
Presentation: SWAP Overview 2021
Recording of webinar
For additional information, contact Heather Hofman: hhofman@wswc.utah.gov

The Reclamation Fund
2021-02-17 10:00 - 11:00 (America/Denver)
The Reclamation Fund
Wednesday, February 17, 2021, at 10:00 AM MST
The Reclamation Fund was created through The Reclamation Act of 1902. The fund was originally designed to support irrigation projects in the western United States, and its funding came primarily from the sale of federal land and timber. Over the years, Congress explored new revenue sources for the fund, and expanded the projects the fund was authorized to support. More info is available here: Reclamation_Fund_Overview – As of FY 2021 PB

This presentation will describe The Reclamation Fund and how it works, report historical and current balances, and explain why the fund balances are growing.
Presenter
Glenna S. Sawyers, Budget Analyst
Bureau of Reclamation Program and Budget, Department of Interior.
Webinar Recording

M4: Next Generation AI-Based NRCS Water Supply Forecasting System
2021-01-20 10:00 - 11:00 (America/Denver)
The US Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) has monitored snowpack and issued seasonal water supply forecasts (WSFs) for close to 100 years. Today, NRCS operates the SNOTEL network and the largest stand-alone operational WSF system in the American West. Here, we introduce the next generation of this WSF system. The resulting prediction analytics engine, called M 4, is a careful blend of proven and fresh concepts, including multi-model ensembles, probabilistic prediction, and several directions in artificial intelligence. To our knowledge, it is the largest transition of machine learning into operational hydrologic forecasting so far, facilitated in part by a design ethos based on determining and meeting the specific and detailed needs of the operational WSF community. Hindcast testing, and live operational testing during the 2020 forecast season, demonstrate improved accuracy, objectivity, robustness, geophysical interpretability, and amenability to automation relative to existing methods.
Presenter
Dr. Sean Fleming, Applied R&D Technical Lead, National Water and Climate Center, NRCS, USDA, Portland; College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences, and Water Resources Graduate Program, Oregon State University, Corvallis; and Department of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver
Webinar Slides
FlemingEtAl_WestFAST_Webinar_20Jan2021
Webinar Recording

Salinity in the Western United States
2020-12-08 08:00 - 18:00 (America/Denver)
This WestFAST hosted webinar brought together salinity experts who shared their knowledge and experiences addressing salinity in the western United States. For WestFAST’s PowerPoint click here.

The Bureau of Reclamation’s Transportation Program
2020-11-18 08:00 - 18:00 (America/Denver)
This WestFAST hosted webinar provided participants with an overview of the program, including a sampling of partnerships and projects to date.

The Bureau of Reclamation’s Prize Competitions Program
2020-10-21 00:00 (America/Denver)
In this WestFAST hosted webinar, participants heard more about the Prize Competitions Program, including an introduction Prize Competitions, an overview of the Program’s portfolio of activities, and a summary of the Program’s outcomes. For the Bureau of Reclamation’s PowerPoint click here.

WSWC Fall 2020 (194th) Meetings (held via webinar)
2020-10-13 00:00 - 2020-10-15 00:00 (America/Denver)
The Fall 2020 (194th) Meetings were held as a virtual event October 13-15, 2020.

Schedule of Meetings /Agenda
Tuesday, October 13
Time (MDT) Meeting Adjournment
1:30 pm Water Quality Committee 4:00 pm
4:00 pm Virtual Social Hour 5:00 pm
Wednesday, October 14
9:00 am Water Resources Committee 11:30 am
Break (30 min)
12:00 pm Special Session: Waters of the United States (WOTUS) Mapping 1:30 pm
Thursday, October 15
12:30 pm Legal Committee 3:00 pm
Break (15 min)
3:15 pm 194th Full Council Meeting 4:00 pm
Briefing Materials (download) (23 MB)
WSWC Fall 2020 (194th) Meetings Briefing Materials
Minutes
Executive Committee Minutes_Virtual Fall Meeting – Sep. 28, 2020
Water Quality Committee Minutes – Virtual Fall Meetings – October 13 2020
Water Resources Committee – Virtual Fall Meeting – October 14, 2020
Legal Committee Minutes – Virtual Fall Meetings – October 15 2020
Full Council (194th) Meeting Minutes – Virtual Fall Meetings – October 15, 2020

Presentations
Special Session – Aquatic Resource Mapping
Presentations by:
Dwane Young, Chief Water Data, Integration Branch, U.S. EPA, Office of Water
Jason Stoker, PhD, Acting Chief, Topographic Data Services, USGS National Geospatial Program
Megan Lang, Chief Scientist, National Wetlands Inventory
Jay Christensen, Research Ecologist, Office of Research and Development, Safe and Sustainable Water Resources Program, U.S. EPA
Water Quality Committee
Utah’s Harmful Algal Bloom Program – Erica Gaddis, Director, Utah Division of Water Quality
Kansas HAB Update – Tom Stiles, Chief, Office of Watershed Planning, Kansas Department of Health & Environment
Water Resources Committee
USGS Water Mission Area Update – Don Cline, Associate Director, Water Resources Mission Area, U.S. Geological Survey
Western Regional Partnership: Overview – Water Security – Amy Duffy, Coordinator, Western Regional Partnership
Sub-Seasonal to Seasonal (S2S) Precipitation Forecasting – Jeanine Jones, P.E., Interstate Resources Manager, California Dept of Water Resources
Water Data Exchange (WaDE) 2.0 Update – Adel Abdallah, WaDE Program Manager and Ryan James, Data Analyst/Hydroinformatics Specialist
Legal Committee
CERCLA Permits and State Water Rights – Kenneth Titus, Chief Counsel, Kansas Department of Agriculture
Mineral County Litigation – Nevada Public Trust Doctrine – Micheline Fairbank, Deputy Administrator, Water Rights, Nevada Division of Water Resources
194th Council Meeting
WestFAST Update – Oct 2020 – Patrick Lambert, WestFAST Chair
2021 SECURE Water Act (SWA) Report – Avra Morgan, Water Resources and Planning Office, Bureau of Reclamation

Open ET (Forrest Melton, NASA)
2020-09-29 00:00 (America/Denver)
The OpenET team presented an overview of the project goals and technical approach, highlighting early use cases and applications, provided a demonstration of the user interface, and hosted a discussion for general feedback and questions.

Energy-Water-Emissions Dashboard (Julian Fulton, PhD, California State University, Sacramento, Department of Environmental Studies)
2020-09-23 00:00 (America/Denver)
This WestFAST-hosted webinar briefed attendees on an interactive, web services-based website dashboard displaying information on nationwide power plant activity, including: up-to-date monthly electricity generation, water use, and greenhouse gas emissions; maps and charts of aggregated data at the facility, watershed (HUC-8), county, and state scales; projections to 2050; a demonstration of the dashboard, showing examples of data queries and available web services.

The Bureau of Reclamation’s WaterSMART Program
2020-09-17 00:00 (America/Denver)
This WestFAST-hosted webinar briefed attendees on the multiple program components of WaterSMART, including their differences and the general timelines for funding opportunity announcements – when, how long, awards, etc. A demonstration of the WaterSMART Data Visualization Tool was also provided; and plans for sharing recent WaterSMART accomplishments was discussed, along with new features of the program. For the Bureau of Reclamation’s Water Resources and Planning Office’s PowerPoint click here.

Update on the Western States Water Council Water Data Exchange (WaDE) 2.0
2020-08-25 00:00 (America/Denver)
This WestFAST-hosted webinar updated attendees on the recent development of WaDE and demoed its new 2.0 system. This demo showed examples of dashboard data queries to water rights and aggregate water use data for many states across the western United States. The presentation highlighted coordination with the USGS Water-Use Data and Research Program and collaboration with the Bureau of Reclamation on their water budget data management efforts in the Colorado River Basin. For the WSWC’s PowerPoint click here.

EPA’s Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) Program
2020-07-29 00:00 (America/Denver)
The Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act Program (WIFIA) accelerates investment in our nation’s water infrastructure by providing long-term, low-cost supplemental loans for regionally and nationally significant projects. The WIFIA program was established by the Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act of 2014. This WestFAST-hosted webinar provided attendees with an overview of the WIFIA Program, including borrower spotlights, program accomplishments to date, and upcoming notices of funding availability.

WSWC Summer 2020 (193rd) Meetings
2020-07-22 00:00 (America/Denver)
The WSWC Summer (193rd) Meetings were held virtually on July 22, 2020 due to COVID-19.

BRIEFING MATERIALS (Download)

July 22, 2020 Summer Meeting Briefing Materials (15.12 MB)
MINUTES
Virtual Executive Committee Minutes – June 25, 2020
Virtual Water Resources Committee Minutes_July 22, 2020
Virtual Water Quality Committee Minutes – July 22, 2020
Virtual Legal Committee Minutes – July 22, 2020
Virtual Full Council Committee Minutes – July 22, 2020
PRESENTATIONS

Wed, July 22 (Mountain Daylight Saving Time)
Water Resources Committee
Deb Lawler – WestFAST Webinar Series
Water Quality Committee (none)

Legal Committee (none)

WSWC Full Council Meeting
Pat Lambert – WestFAST Update – July 2020
AGENDA
Executive Committee_Summer 2020
Water Resources Committee_Summer 2020
Water Quality Committee_Summer 2020
Legal Committee_Summer 2020
Full Council (193rd) Meeting_Summer 2020

NRCS’s Regional Conservation Partnership Program – A look at a few Water Supply Projects involving Water Agencies in the West
2020-07-15 00:00 (America/Denver)
This WestFAST-hosted webinar provided attendees with an overview of the NRCS’s RCPP, including a look at a few active RCPP water supply projects involving water agencies in the West. For NRCS’s PowerPoint click here.

The National Water Reuse Action Plan
2020-07-08 00:00 (America/Denver)
This WestFAST-hosted webinar provided attendees (WSWC states and WestFAST member agencies) with an overview of the Plan – including strategic themes and key actions to be implemented across the water user community.

Snow Survey and Water Supply Forecasting Program, and the NRCS National Soil Climate Analysis Network (SCAN)
2020-06-30 00:00 (America/Denver)
This WestFAST-hosted webinar provided attendees with an update on the Snow Survey and Water Supply Forecasting Program, as well as the Soil Climate Analysis Network (SCAN), providing a better idea of what the programs are and where NRCS is heading.

NASA Water Applications Office, and USGS National Land Imaging Program Updates
2020-06-24 00:00 (America/Denver)
This WestFAST-hosted webinar provided attendees with an overview of the latest activities within NASA’s Water Applications Program, and within USGS’s NLI Program. For NASA’s PowerPoint click here. For USGS’s PowerPoint click here.
