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HIGHLIGHTS
On February 17, the public comment period closed for EPA’s 2026 Proposed Rule updating Water Quality Certification Regulations, drawing sharply divided responses from two coalitions of state Attorneys General. One coalition, led by Washington State, opposed the rule as an unlawful curtailment of state sovereignty, while a coalition led by West Virginia supported it as a necessary correction to state overreach that has impeded energy and infrastructure development.
On March 4, the EPA launched the Real Water Technical Assistance (RealWaterTA) initiative to redirect federal technical assistance toward engineering support, workforce development, and financial management guidance for water systems. The framework establishes eight core priorities with an emphasis on small, rural, and tribal water systems, and requires all EPA offices and grant recipients to realign their activities immediately.
On March 4, the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee approved the Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Reauthorization Act (S. 3923), which would reauthorize the 2017 Weather Act and fund pilot projects improving subseasonal-to-seasonal precipitation forecasting, authorizing $40 million annually through 2030.
On February 9, Special Master Judge D. Brooks Smith recommended that the U.S. Supreme Court enter a new Compact Decree—the Effective El Paso Index (EEPI) Decree—resolving a long-running dispute over Rio Grande water distribution among Texas, New Mexico, and Colorado. The decree establishes a quantifiable index tying Texas’s water apportionment to measurable hydrologic conditions, addresses groundwater pumping obligations, and resolves the federal government’s previously outstanding objections without imposing obligations on the United States.
On February 12, Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond announced that Tyson Foods and Cargill agreed to pay a combined $25.5 million to settle a 20-year lawsuit alleging that phosphorus-laden poultry waste had polluted the Illinois River Watershed. In addition to the financial settlements, both companies agreed to contribute to watershed remediation, increase litter removal from the region, and fund a Special Master to monitor compliance, while proceedings continue against remaining defendants.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
The WSWC Spring (209th) Meetings and Washington, D.C., Roundtable, jointly hosted by the Interstate Council on Water Policy (ICWP), will be held from April 21-24, 2026. The agendas are now available on the event website.
The Joint ICWP-WSWC Roundtable is an in-person only meeting with a registration fee. Please register in advance from the ICWP event page. The WSWC Organizational Meeting will be held in person with virtual accommodations. There is no registration fee. Please register in advance from the WSWC event page.
MEETING SCHEDULE:
Monday: Travel Day
Tuesday: Congressional Hill Visits
Wednesday: Joint ICWP-WSWC Roundtable and evening reception
Thursday: WSWC Organizational Meeting
Friday: WSWC-WestFAST Principals Meeting (EPA Headquarters from 9:00 am – 11:00 am)
MEETING VENUE: All ICWP/WSWC meetings on Wednesday and Thursday will be held at the Xylem Reservoir Center for Water Solutions located at 301 Water Street SE, Washington, DC 20003.