Western States Water Council
A Voice for Water in the West since 1965
What We Do
Our mission is to ensure that the West has an adequate, secure, and sustainable supply of water of suitable quality to meet its diverse economic and environmental needs now and in the future.
Western Water Policy Positions
Raise water as a critical public policy priority. Policy positions are vetted with the governors, adopted by the Council, and promoted on behalf of Western States.
Weekly Newsletter
Report and curate state and federal news on water-related issues, as well as other activities and events.
Federal Reserved Tribal and Non-Tribal Water Rights
Support authorization and funding of negotiated settlements between tribes, states, and federal agencies to resolved unquantified tribal and non-tribal water claims.
Water Infrastructure
Recognize and promote active asset management, including consistent funding to address aging infrastructure challenges, future water supply, and water and wastewater treatment needs.
Sharing of State-Level Water Data
Develop and grow the Water Data Exchange (WaDE) Program that streamlines access to water rights and water use data, water quality and other water related databases.
Enhance State and Federal Relationships and Encourage Collaboration
Serve as a forum for Interstate and State/Federal dialogue and action on emerging and ongoing water issues with our Western States Federal Agency Support Team (WestFAST).
Water Quality-Quantity Nexus
Recognize and promote efforts to better manage and balance the interrelationships between the development and allocation of water resources, wastewater treatment, and water quality.
Water-Related Observing Systems and Data
Support the maintenance and expansion of critical observing systems and promote innovation related to the monitoring and reporting of water-related parameters.
2022 WSWC Fall (200th) Meetings
Panel: Abandoned Hardrock Mine Remediation
Panel: WOTUS regional discussion
#483 – Strengthening the Resiliency of Our Nation to the Impacts of Extreme Weather Events
#483 - Strengthening the Resiliency of Our Nation to the Impacts of Extreme Weather Events (August 5, 2022) WHEREAS, the West and the Nation continue to suffer the effects of increasingly extreme weather events, including tornadoes, hurricanes, extreme precipitation,...
#482 – Preservation of Radio Frequencies Necessary for Weather Forecasting and Water Management
#482 - Preservation of Radio Frequencies Necessary for Weather Forecasting and Water Management (August 5, 2022) WHEREAS, the Administration has launched a $45 Billion “Internet for All” Initiative to Connect Everyone in America; and WHEREAS, National...
#481 – Clean Water Act Jurisdiction
#481 - Clean Water Act Jurisdiction Position #481 (April 6, 2022) WHEREAS, the Clean Water Act (CWA) is built upon the principle of cooperative federalism in which Congress intended the states, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the U.S. Army Corps of...
Issue #2532
Issue #2532
WSWC Support for the Introduction of the Water Data Act
On May 23, the WSWC wrote a letter of support to Representative Melanie Stansbury (D-NM) who introduced the Water Data Act (H.R. 7792). The letter noted the WSWC “…supports leveraging state and federal resources to build a national water data framework for sharing,...
Senate Agriculture Committee Subcommittee Hearing
On June 7, the Senate Agriculture Committee Subcommittee on Conservation, Climate, Forestry and Natural Resources held a hearing the Western Water Crisis: Confronting Persistent Drought and Building Resilience on our Forests and Farmland. Earl Lewis, Chief Engineer,...
Position: Deputy State Engineer, WY State Engineer’s Office
The Wyoming State Engineer's Office is looking for a Deputy State Engineer, who will report directly to the State Engineer and act as a delegate in areas relating to Wyoming water law, water administration and agency representation. This is an At-Will position and is...
No Results Found
The page you requested could not be found. Try refining your search, or use the navigation above to locate the post.
WIDS Summer Meeting – August 2021
Water Information and Data Subcommittee (WIDS) Summer Meeting – August 2021 Meeting Summary The meeting was attended by 40 experts on water and data including guests from the Interstate Council on Water Policy (ICWP) Water Data & Science Committee. The meeting...
WestFAST November 2022 Newsletter
Bipartisan Infrastructure Law investments combine science and technology to track biological threats in US waters; Megadroughts in the Common Era and the Anthropocene; 5 Things to Know About How SWOT Will Look at the World’s Water; and more. Read it here
Wild & Scenic Rivers Workshop
On September 14, 2021, the Western States Water Council and WestFAST jointly hosted a Wild & Scenic Rivers Workshop. The Non-Tribal Federal Water Rights Workgroup, comprised of WSWC and WestFAST members, has as its primary purpose to facilitate state-federal...
The Western States Water Council is the preeminent water policy organization in the western U.S. representing as it does 18 western states. From influential positions on federal rules and legislation to support of Landsat missions intended to acquire important water use information, the Council serves it member states like no other entity. My 18-year membership with the Council is one of the most memorable experiences of my service as Wyoming State Engineer.
I find the Council to be a provocative forum to discuss how State water supply and water quality program should interact. Western perspectives highlight the unique and confounding aspects of managing water quality in ways that defy uniform application of the Clean Water Act. And there may be no greater champion of the importance of water data programs of the USGS and NRCS than the WSWC.
The Western States Water Council is recognized as a national leader in developing and influencing national and western water policy, while serving as the water arm for the Western Governors’ Association. The Council provides an excellent forum for states and federal agencies to discuss water issues of mutual interest. I know that my time on the Council certainly enhanced my ability as a leader on state water issues.
Contact Us
Western States Water Council Office
682 East Vine Street, Suite 7
Murray, UT 84107-5501
(801) 685-2555
(801) 685-2559 (fax)
jgroat@wswc.utah.gov
Julie Groat
Administrative Assistant
