Western States Water Council

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
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).

Leveraging Watershed Management
2020-04-29 00:00
This WestFAST-hosted webinar introduced attendees to: (1) the history of watershed and wildfire management in the Forest Service; (2) subsequent post-burn issues, including impacts to water supplies; and (3) provided examples of current approaches to engage with communities, water utilities, states, tribes, others to respond and improve the landscape, lower wildfire risk, and protect water supplies. The briefing touched on the collaborative processes, new authorities, and mechanisms available across entities.

WSWC – NASA Western Water Applications Office (WWAO) Research to Operations (R2O) Workshop – POSTPONED
2020-04-22 00:00 - 2020-04-23 00:00
Due to COVID19 Travel Restrictions and Concerns, the R2O Workshop April 22-23, 2020 is CANCELLED until further notice.

VENUE: National Academy of Sciences Beckman Center
100 Academy, Irvine, California 92617
WORKSHOP OVERVIEW & OBJECTIVES:
This workshop will build upon the insights identified and connections established in August 2019 during the first WSWC-WWAO workshop on research to operations (R2O) for Western water management. This year, the workshop objectives aim to advance the priorities established in the last workshop and outlined in the summary workshop report. The 2020 workshop objectives are to:
1. Strengthen agency partnerships and continue building an inter-agency community to facilitate R2O in water resource management by:
a. Including participants across Federal agencies that have research and/or operational involvement in water resource management, including representatives from USGS, NOAA, NASA, and USBR;
b. Structuring the workshop to be interactive and dialogue-based; and
c. Soliciting feedback and follow-up engagement from participants in the development of a workshop report that synthesizes the current shared challenges, best practices, and pathway forward for R2O in water resource management.
2. Develop WSWC’s WestFAST network to be a bridge to help transition new technologies and information products for water resources management to operational federal programs, including, but not limited to, remote sensing-based measurement technologies and sub-seasonal to seasonal (S2S) weather forecasting by:
a. Engaging WestFAST members in the workshop Steering Committee; and
b. Identifying technologies that meet water resource management needs and have high potential for R2O.
3. Develop a strategy for raising awareness and support within state and federal government for R2O through:
a. Defining what “success” looks like;
b. Discussing and documenting a pathway and associated timeline for financial planning for R2O, learning from projects that have been successful in R2O;
c. Discussing and documenting a pathway and associated timeline for technical planning and coordination, learning from successful projects; and
d. Helping the research community understand the process and lead times necessary for successful transition of projects to operational federal agency programs.
To accomplish these objectives, the workshop will bring together partners from federal and state agencies that have experience with technology transfer, or that have programs that could be adopters of new technology and remotely sensed information products from NASA, NOAA and USGS. Together we will identify best practices to transfer applied research to operational programs in western federal, state, and local water agencies and tribes.
AGENDA:
REGISTRATION:
Registration is required for all meeting speakers and attendees.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
Suggested Accommodations:
Hotels offering Federal per diem rate ($181) and airport shuttle
Embassy Suites Irvine Orange County Airport
2120 Main Street, Irvine, CA 92614
949-553-8332
DoubleTree by Hilton – Orange County Airport
7 Hutton Centre Drive, Santa Ana, CA 92707
714-751-2400
DoubleTree by Hilton Santa Ana/Orange County Airport
201 E. MacArthur Blvd., Santa Ana, CA 92707
714-825-3333
Hilton Garden Inn Irvine/Orange County Airport
2381 Morse Avenue, Irvine, CA 92614
949-224-3900
Atrium Hotel at Orange County Airport
18700 MacArthur Boulevard, Irvine, CA 92612
949-833-2770

WSWC Spring 2020 (192nd) Meetings and Washington, D.C. Roundtable- CANCELLED
2020-03-30 00:00 - 2020-04-02 00:00
On behalf of the entire WSWC staff, we hope this finds you in good health. As the world adapts to these unusual circumstances related to the COVID-19 pandemic, we wish to extend our support and express our appreciation for the work you’re doing. We will do everything we can to continue to protect our employees and to be available to you. Given these unique circumstances, as you know we canceled our meetings, which were scheduled to be held in Arlington, Virginia on April 1, but we are advising you that briefing materials have been prepared for the meeting.
BRIEFING MATERIALS (for download):
Due to COVID19 Travel Restrictions and Concerns, the 2020 WSWC ICWP NWSA Washington DC Roundtable–March 30-April 2, 2020 is CANCELLED

Your health and safety and that of our members is paramount during these difficult times. Given the current and anticipated COVID19 restrictions on travel and meetings, the Joint WSWC/ICWP/NWSA Washington DC Roundtable and related meetings March 30-April 2, 2020 are CANCELLED.
Please remember to cancel your reservations at the Doubletree Crystal City Hotel at (703) 416-4100, as well as your transportation reservations related to the meeting.
WSWC will be processing registration refunds in due time. For those who have paid a registration fee, please be patient as we sort through the process and prepare to issue refunds.
We appreciate your support. In these uncertain and extraordinary times, stay safe and healthy.
We hope to see you at our WSWC Summer Meetings in Cody, Wyoming in July. Please do not hesitate to contact us with any questions.

FAST-41: Your Tailored Roadmap for Infrastructure Project Permitting/The Federal Permitting Improvement Steering Council
2020-03-25 00:00
This WestFAST-hosted webinar provided an overview of the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act, which was signed into law on December 4, 2015. Title 41 of the FAST Act (FAST-41) (42 U.S.C. § 4370m) was designed to improve the timeliness, predictability, and transparency of the Federal environmental review and authorization process for covered infrastructure projects. FAST-41 created a new entity – the Federal Permitting Improvement Steering Council (FPISC), composed of agency Deputy Secretary-level members and chaired by an Executive Director appointed by the President. FAST-41 establishes new procedures that standardize inter-agency consultation and coordination practices. FAST-41 codifies into law the use of the Permitting Dashboard to track project timelines, including actions that must be taken by federal agencies. Project sponsor participation in FAST-41 is voluntarily.

New USGS Priority Programs – NGWOS, IWP, and IWA
2020-02-25 00:00
The U.S. Geologic Survey (USGS) Water Resources Mission Area has established new interrelated strategic priorities to guide its work over the coming years to help the Nation address growing challenges to its water supply, infrastructure, and aquatic ecosystems. This WestFAST-hosted webinar introduced attendees to three new USGS Priority Programs: (1) Next Generation Water Observing System (NGWOS): Establishment of an integrated set of fixed and mobile assets – in the water, on the ground and in the air – that will collect and deliver data that can help address water resource challenges and decision making needs of the future; (2) The Integrated Water Prediction (IWP) Program: Enhancement of existing tools and development of new capacity to produce model predictions supporting forecast-based management of water supplies and infrastructure; and (3) The Integrated Water Availability Assessments (IWAAs) Program: Integrated assessment of water availability in terms of the spatial and temporal distribution of water quantity and quality in both surface and groundwater, as related to human and ecosystem needs and as affected by human and natural influences. The briefing includes an update on the recent selection of the “Headwaters of the Colorado/Gunnison River” Basins for future NGWOS implementation.

Presidential Memorandum on Promoting the Reliable Supply and Delivery of Water in the West
2020-02-10 00:00
This WestFAST-hosted webinar provided an overview of the Presidential Memorandum, Action Plans developed by participating Federal Agencies in response to the Memorandum, current activities, and next steps.

(2019) Water Information Management Systems (WIMS) Workshop & USGS Water Use Collaboration
2019-09-16 00:00 - 2019-09-19 00:00
WIMS Workshop

WORKSHOP GOALS
To focus on the status of water use data science, state agency strategies for getting to high-quality water use information, including online reporting, automated data checking, and remote-sensing tools. The WIMS and USGS Water Use Data Collaboration will serve as a forum for states and other attendees to exchange information on this highly specialized and important category of water data.
Workshop Materials – 2019 WIMS/USGS Collaboration Workshop Materials/Agenda
Workshop summary report: WIMS_Summary_2019_Final

Presentations
Monday, September 16
Welcoming Remarks

Overview of Water Information Management Systems and the Importance of Data and Data Publication for Western Water Sustainability,, Tony Willardson, Executive Director, Western States Water Council
Importance of Water Use Data for U.S. Geological Survey WMA Programs, Molly Maupin, Hydrologist, National Water Use Science Project Lead, US Geological Survey
Water Data Exchange Program (WaDE): New Architecture, Adel Abdallah, WaDE Program Manager, Western States Water Council

Regional Water Use Data Efforts

Consumptive Use and Loss Reporting and Recent Estimation Studies in the Upper Colorado River Basin, Jim Prairie, Hydraulic Engineer U.S. Bureau of Reclamation
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) / Western Water Applications Office, Forrest Melton, Program Scientist, NASA Western Water Applications Office

Western States Water Use Data Efforts

New Mexico Water Use and Data, Molly Magnuson, Water Use and Conservation Bureau Chief, New Mexico Office of the State Engineer
Utility Customer Data Privacy and Aggregation Best Practices, Ben Ruddell, Northern Arizona University
OpenET: Filling a Critical Data Gap in Western Water Management, Forrest Melton, Senior Research Scientist, NASA Ames Research Center, Cooperative for Research in Earth Science and Technology (ARC-CREST)

Tuesday, September 17
Western States Water Use Data Efforts

Data Science and Enterprise Data Management at the Arizona Department of Water Resources, Lisa Williams, Manager, Office of Data Management, Arizona Department of Water Resources
Data Engagement and Integration Activities at a State Agency, Greg Gearheart, Deputy Director, Information Management and Analysis, California State Water Resources Control Board
Planning for Utah’s Water Future, Candice Hasenyager, Assistant Director, Utah Division of Water Resources

Western States Water Use Data Efforts

Statewide Water Supply Planning and the Colorado Water Plan, Russ Sands, Senior Program Manager, Colorado Water Conservation Board
The Texas Water Development Board’s Texas Water Service Boundary Viewer, Bill Billingsley, Manager, Water Use & Planning Data, Texas Water Development Board
Nevada’s Water Use Estimates and Data Sharing Efforts, Adam Sullivan, Deputy State Engineer, Nevada Division of Water Resources

Western States Water Use Data Efforts

Texas Reservoir Evaporation: Upgrading the Monitoring Network, Andrew Weinberg, Geoscientist, Texas Water Development Board
Water Use Data in Wyoming: What Does the Future Hold? Jodee Pring, Supervisor, River Basin Planning, Wyoming Water Development Office
Wyoming’s Water Use Data Collection and Management, Charlie Ferrantelli, River Basin Coordinator, Wyoming State Engineer’s Office

National Water Use Data Efforts

Estimating Irrigation Efficiency in Montana Using Remote Sensing Tools, David Ketchum, Hydrologist, Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation
Kansas Water Use Reporting and Data Management, Ginger Pugh, Professional Civil Engineer, Kansas Department of Agriculture
The Internet of Water and Regional Water Use Estimation and Reporting, Kyle Onda, Data Architect, Internet of Water

Wednesday, September 18
Regional/University Water Use Data Efforts

USGS Water-Use Data and Research Program (WUDR) Overview, Kim Shaffer, Water Use Data and Research (WUDR) Coordinator
USGS Water Use Data System Modernization and WaDE Collaboration, Nancy Barber, Hydrologist
USGS Water Use, the Internet of Water, and the National Hydrography Infrastructure, Dave Blodgett, United States Geological Survey (USGS)

State Water Use Data Efforts

Water Using Remotely Sensed Data and Gridded Weather Datasets to Estimate Evapotranspiration for Water Use Mapping and Water Budget Studies in Diverse Ecosystems, Gabriel Senay, Research Physical Scientist
Mapping and Modeling of Interbasin Water Transfers Within the United States, Landon Marston, Assistant Professor, Kansas State University
Nebraska Water Use Data, Jesse Bradley, Assistant Director, Nebraska Department of Natural Resources

State Water Use Data Efforts

Pennsylvania’s Water Use and Data Research (WUDR) Projects, Michael Hill, Geologist, Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection
Consolidating Water Use Data in North Carolina, Linwood Peele, Water Supply Planning Branch Supervisor, NC Division of Water Resources
Utilization of WUDR Funds in North Dakota: Municipal Water, Per Capita Coefficients, and the Bakken Region, Jack Norland, Assistant Professor, North Dakota State University

State Water Use Data Efforts

DocStar, Document Management, Arkansas’s Answer to Water Use Reporting, Amy Chatwood, Computer Support Coordinator, Arkansas Natural Resources Commission
Water Use Reporting in Missouri, Scott Kaden, Groundwater Section Chief, Missouri Geological Survey-Water Resource Center
Improving Illinois’ Water Data Acquisition and Analyses, Vlad Iordache, Water Resources Application Developer, Illinois State Water Survey

Thursday, September 19
Breakout sessions notes
2019WIMS_Breakout_Group1_Notes
2019WIMS_Breakout_Group2_Notes
2019WIMS_Breakout_Group3_Notes

MEETING LOCATION
Fort Collins Science Center
Bldg C., Meeting Room 2000
2150 Centre Avenue
Fort Collins, CO
Downtown Fort Collins

MEET YOUR PEERS
Visit with other state agency water data program staff members and water use specialists to hear their experience and strategies for water use data. Lots of time set aside for sharing ideas, follow-up questions, and discussion.

DISCOVER GREAT TOOLS
We’ll be assembling the latest and greatest research and tool developers at this meeting, from both eastern and western states, and federal agency partners. We’ll also explore how the Water Use Data & Research (WUDR) grants have helped states to improve their water use data processes and outcomes.

COLLABORATE
Across the states, every agency and every data program manager feels the weight of responsibility for putting out great water data that can be used by others. Explore synergies and opportunities to work with other data program professionals – folks who are in the same boat and understand the challenges of funding, gathering, maintaining, and publishing great water data.

(2019) Symposium on the Settlement of Indian Reserved Water Rights Claims
2019-08-13 08:00 - 2019-08-15 18:00
2019 Symposium on the Settlement of Indian Reserved Water Rights Claims

The Western States Water Council and Native American Rights Fund held their sixteenth biennial Symposium on the Settlement of Indian Reserved Water Rights Claims on August 13-15, 2019. The meetings were held at the Harrah’s Resort Southern California in Funner, California.
AGENDA
PACKET MATERIALS
PRESENTATIONS:

Tuesday, August 13, 2019
WESTERN WATER LAW AND INDIAN RESERVED WATER RIGHTS: A PRIMER
→ Norm Johnson, Natural Resources Division Director, Utah Attorney General’s Office
NEGOTIATION OF INDIAN WATER RIGHTS CLAIMS: THE BASICS
Gathering Background Information and the Role of Technicians in Negotiations
→ Jerry Lunak, Acting Director, Water Resources Department, Blackfeet Tribe
→ Doug Oellerman, Supervisory Civil Engineer, Bureau of Reclamation
WATER PLANNING: SCARCITY AND COLLABORATION
→ Kenneth Slowinski, Chief Counsel, Arizona Department of Water Resources
→ Leslie Meyers, Phoenix Area Manager, Bureau of Reclamation
→ Kevin Moran, Senior Director, Western Water, Environmental Defense Fund
Wednesday, August 14, 2019
THE ADMINISTRATION’S SETTLEMENT POLICY
→ Alan Mikkelsen, Senior Advisor to the Secretary of the Interior for Water and Western Resource Issues, Department of the Interior and Pam Williams, Director, Secretary’s Indian Water Rights Office, Department of the Interior
RESPONSE PANEL
→ Neil Peyron, Chairman, Tule River Tribal Council
FILM: San Luis Rey Indian Water Rights Settlement – “Once There Was a River”

DESCRIPTION OF THE SAN LUIS REY INDIAN WATER RIGHTS SETTLEMENT
→ Joe Vanderhorst, Assist. General Counsel, Metropolitan Water District of So. California
Thursday, August 15, 2019
SETTLEMENT IMPLEMENTATION: IMPACTS OF POLICY CHANGES
→ Shalee Russette, Project Manager, Chippewa Cree Construction Corp and Deon Stockert, Client Program Leader, Advanced Engineering and Environmental Services
SETTLEMENT LEGISLATION: GETTING BILLS THROUGH CONGRESS
Congressional Outlook for Indian Water Rights Settlements
→ Matthew Muirragui, Majority Staff Director, Subcommittee on Water, Oceans and Wildlife, House Natural Resources Committee

(2019) WSWC/NASA Technology Transfer for Water Management in the Western United States
2019-08-07 00:00 - 2019-08-09 00:00
WSWC/NASA Technology Transfer for Water Management in the Western United States, 2019
OVERVIEW: The Western States Water Council (WSWC) is sponsoring a workshop on technology transfer for water management in the western United States with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA) Western Water Applications Office on August 7-9, 2019 in Irvine, California.
NASA provides data and information to assist state, local and federal water agencies in responding to complex problems through its Earth observations, tools and scientific expertise. Water managers recognize the value of NASA’s capabilities for decision support, but it has been challenging to use the data operationally. Similarly, other federal and state agencies face challenges related to transitioning research projects to improve operations and management.
This workshop will bring together NASA scientists with partners from federal and state agencies that have experience with technology transfer to identify best practices to streamline the process and communicate the need to actively plan for an effective transition.
WORKSHOP GOALS:
1. Build agency partnerships and a network of experts to facilitate the application and transition of technology from NASA to water resources management for decision support;
2. Discover and document best practices for successful application transition; and
3. Identify current barriers to technology transfer and establish pathways to overcome those barriers.
AGENDA: Agenda NASA-WWAO WSWC Technology Transfer Workshop

R2O 2019 workshop report
