Formally-adopted positions of the Western States Water Council
Position #2026-07 - Support for USDA Conservation and Rural Water Infrastructure Programs in the West Policy Summary Agriculture is central to western economies and communities and accounts for much of the West’s consumptive water use. Drought, scarce water supplies with...
Position #2026-06 - Support for Negotiated Indian Water Rights Settlements Policy Summary Resolving unquantified Indian reserved water rights claims is critical for western states, because tribal rights typically have priority dates that are senior to non-Indian uses, and...
Position #2026-05 - State Primacy and Cooperative Federalism for Western State Water Quality Programs Policy Summary Western states are characterized by their arid conditions and limited water resources. Accordingly, they have longstanding and comprehensive legal systems...
Position #2026-04 - Western Water, State Authority, and Cooperative Federalism Policy Summary Western states are characterized by their arid conditions and limited water resources. Western States have longstanding and comprehensive legal systems for allocating these...
Position #2026-03 - Support for SRFs, WIFIA, and State & Tribal Assistance Grants Policy Summary Safe drinking water and effective wastewater infrastructure financing is essential to public health, economic growth, environmental protection, and the states’ ability to...
Position #2026-02 - Support for Critical Western Water Infrastructure Programs and Projects Policy Summary The West depends on a vast, aging network of dams, reservoirs, diversions, canals, pipelines, levees, wells, pumps, treatment facilities, hydropower acilities, and...
Position #2026-01 - Support for Critical Federal Water Data, Forecasting, and Applied Research Programs Policy Summary The West depends on accurate, timely, and accessible water, weather, and climate data to protect lives and property, manage scarce water supplies, operate...
Position #541 - Regarding Water-Related Federal Rules, Regulations, Directives, Orders and Policies WHEREAS, Presidential Executive Order 13132, issued on August 4, 1999, requires federal agencies to “have an accountable process to ensure meaningful and timely input by...
Position #540 - Regarding Preemption of State Law in Federal Legislation WHEREAS, the future growth, prosperity and economic and environmental health of the West and the Nation depend upon the availability of adequate quantities of water for myriad uses; and WHEREAS,...
Position No. 539 - Regarding the Clean and Drinking Water State Revolving Funds and State and Tribal Assistance Grants WHEREAS, the economies of every state and the Nation as a whole depend upon sufficient water supplies of suitable quality, which require adequate water...