Western States Water Council

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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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.

The Second Colorado River Basin Data and Modeling Roundtable: Webinar
2020-05-27 00:00 - 2020-05-28 00:00
The Western States Water Council is hosting this second roundtable as a follow-up to the first “Internet of Water Roundtable: Colorado River Basin,” organized by the Aspen Institute and Nicholas Institute for Environmental Policy Solutions in January 2019 in Salt Lake City, Utah. The Aspen Institute’s Dialogue Series on water data led to its report, “Internet of Water: Sharing and Integrating Water Data for Sustainability,” which presented a vision for a national policy framework to address institutional barriers to scaling and integrating water data and information to support sustainable water management. The first roundtable recommended continuing discussions and coordination among three ongoing projects, the Internet of Water (IoW), the Water Data Exchange (WaDE) program, and the OpenET project.

This second roundtable will bring together groups from Colorado River Basin federal and state agencies to present progress over the last year and discuss the next steps on modeling and data sharing. The projects’ teams are working toward laying a foundation of open and interoperable water data and all have significant applications for water management in the Colorado River basin. Due to COVID-19 travel restrictions and concerns, the roundtable was adapted to a 2-day webinar.
Roundtable Goals

Serve as a forum for the Colorado River Basin States, federal agencies, and others to discuss efforts in mapping and reconciling differences in water use estimates and data sharing
Highlight what has been accomplished across the OpenET, IOW, and WaDE projects to estimate water use, reconcile water glossaries and budget models, and demonstrate WaDE 2.0 platform
Report on progress on water data initiatives and laws in state and federal agencies
Identify areas of mutual interest and ways to collaborate; and offer some practical, on-the-ground next steps on how the OpenET, WaDE, and IOW projects can further help the Colorado Basin States.

Agenda and Meeting Materials
The agenda and meeting materials are posted here: 2020 Colorado Basin Roundtable Materials.
Participants
The roundtable will draw around 40 participants from the WaDE, OpenET, and IOW projects and from invited policy and decision-makers from federal and state agencies and researchers across the seven Colorado River Basin States: Arizona, California, Colorado, New Mexico, Nevada, Utah, Wyoming.
Presentations and Recordings
Wednesday Webinar
Progress on Water Data Initiatives Update

Internet of Water Update: Ashley Ward, Senior Policy Associate and Kyle Onda, Data Architect –Internet of Water
OpenET Project Update: Robyn Grimm, Senior Manager – Water Information Systems -Environmental Defense Fund, and Forrest Melton, Program Scientist – NASA Western Water Application Office (WWAO)
Water Data Exchange (WaDE) Program Update: Adel Abdallah, Program Manager and Ryan James, Data Analyst –Western States Water Council

Colorado River Basin: State Water Data Initiatives – Progress on Modeling Water Use and Sharing Data

Wyoming: Jodee Pring, Supervisor, River Basin Planning – Wyoming and Water Development Office AND Charlie Ferrantelli, River Basin Coordinator – Wyoming State Engineer’s Office
California AB1755: Streamlining Water Data Submissions to the State Joaquin Esquivel, Board Chair – California Control Board and Kamyar Guivetchi, Manager, Division of Planning – California Department of Water Resources
Colorado River Basin Consumptive Use and Loss Reporting: James Prairie, Hydrologic Engineer – Bureau of Reclamation

Thursday Webinar
Colorado River Basin: State Water Data Initiatives – Progress on Modeling Water Use and Sharing Data

Arizona: Kyle Miller, Planning Manager – Arizona Department of Water Resources and Marcus Shapiro, Water Systems Supervisor – Central Arizona Project

Colorado: Rebecca Mitchell, Director and Brian Macpherson, Decision Support System Specialist – Colorado Water Conservation Board

Nevada: Seth Shanahan, Colorado River Programs Manager – Southern Nevada Water Authority
Utah: Todd Stonely, Assistant Director, Utah Division of Water Resources

New Mexico: Stacy Timmons – Associate Director, Hydrogeology – New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources, and Rolf Schmidt Petersen, Director – New Mexico Interstate Stream Commission

Natural Resources Conservation Service Program Updates
2020-05-21 00:00
This WestFAST hosted webinar provided updates on the Natural Resources Conservation Service Programs and the 2018 Farm Bill. Click here to view presentation slides.

National Integrated Drought Information System (NIDIS); National Weather Center; and the National Water and Climate Center Program Updates
2020-05-19 00:00
This WestFAST hosted webinar provided updates on the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) National Integrated Drought Information System (NIDIS) Program and the National Water Center; and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Water and Climate Center.

WSWC-CDWR 2020 Sub-seasonal to Seasonal Precipitation Forecasting Workshop – Postponed until 2021
2020-05-18 00:00 - 2020-05-20 00:00
Due to COVID19 Travel Restrictions and Meeting Bans, the S2S Workshop May 18-20, 2020 is CANCELLED. We intend to reschedule the workshop for May 2021.

The Western States Water Council and the California Department of Water Resources are cosponsoring 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. The agenda will include topics such as status of implementation of the Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Act, experimental seasonal statistical forecasts for California and the Colorado River Basin, the Yuba-Feather forecast-informed reservoir operations pilot project, and drought prediction.
The workshop is being held in San Diego, California on May 18-20, 2020 at the Doubletree San Diego Downtown. It will begin Monday, May 18 at 1:00 pm and conclude Wednesday, May 20 around 12:00 noon.
AGENDA:
S2S Workshop Agenda_May 2020
MEETING REGISTRATION: There is no fee required to attend. Make sure to click on the “Submit” button at the bottom of the form to ensure your registration is successfully submitted. You will receive a confirmation email if completed appropriately.
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MEETING FACILITY: Doubletree by Hilton San Diego Downtown, located at 1646 Front Street, San Diego, California 92101.
GUEST ROOM ACCOMMODATIONS/RESERVATION METHOD: A block of rooms has been reserved and will be held through April 18, 2020 at the Doubletree San Diego Downtown. Please contact the hotel’s reservations department directly at (619) 239-6800, or central reservations at (800) 222-TREE, and announce the Western States Water Council to receive the established group rate of $125 per night. Reservations are subject to availability at the time of booking. The group rate will be extended three (3) days before and after the room block dates, subject to availability. Reservations received after the cutoff date of April 18, 2020 will be confirmed on a room availability basis at the rate in effect at the time of the request.
Please note: The Hotel maintains a forty-eight (48) hour cancellation policy for individual guest room reservations.
CUT-OFF DATE: April 18, 2020
PARKING: The Hotel offers self-covered parking the hotel at a charge of $16.00 per car per night.
GROUND TRANSPORTATION: The Doubletree San Diego Downtown offers a complimentary airport shuttle to hotel guests. In order to get picked up at the airport, the day of arrival, each guest should call the hotel directly at 1-619-239-6800 from the airport after luggage pick up. To be taken back to the airport, guests must make a reservation with the Concierge or Front Desk. The airport shuttle arrives at the front entrance of the hotel and departs every thirty (30) minutes.

PFAS Background Action Plan
2020-05-15 00:00
This PFAS Background Action Plan was shared with the Western States Water Council, and provides an overview of the Action Plan, with supporting materials. Click here to view presentation slides.
Announcement of Preliminary Regulatory Determinations for Contaminants on the Fourth Drinking Water Contaminant Candidate List; Extension of Comment Period
PFAS Action Plan: Program Update February 2020

USGS Water Mission Area Updates – Water Resources Availability and Water Observing Systems Portfolios
2020-05-14 00:00
This WestFAST hosted webinar provided updates on the USGS’s Water Mission Area: Water Resources Availability and Water Observing Systems Portfolios.

2019 ESA Section 4 Rule Revisions Overview
2020-05-12 00:00
This WestFAST hosted webinar provided an overview of the 2019 revisions to regulations under section 4 of the Endangered Species Act. The presentation covered the changes to the regulations governing the process for listing/delisting species and designating critical habitat and the regulations pertaining to protections for threatened species (i.e., 4(d) rules).
