Formally-adopted positions of the Western States Water Council
Position #520 – Endangered Species and State Water Rights WHEREAS, Section 2(c)(2) of the Endangered Species Act declares it is the policy of Congress that Federal agencies shall cooperate with State and local agencies to resolve water resource issues in concert with...
Position #519 – Water Transfers and NPDES Discharge Permits WHEREAS, the Western States Water Council (WSWC) has long declared its position that the transport of water through constructed conveyances to supply beneficial uses should not trigger federal National...
Position #518 – Rural Water Supply Project/Infrastructure Needs WHEREAS, in the West, water is indeed our “life blood,” a vital and scarce resource the availability of which has and continues to circumscribe growth, development, our economic and environmental well-being...
Position #517 - State Nutrient Reduction Strategies WHEREAS, the Clean Water Act (CWA) establishes individual States as co-regulators, responsible for establishing comprehensive water quality standards and nutrient reduction strategies for waters within their borders;...
Position #516 – The Dividing the Waters Program for Judges WHEREAS, the Dividing the Waters Program of the National Judicial College has served western judges overseeing complex water litigation since 1993, providing information and training resources on water law and...
Position #515 – State Primacy over Groundwater WHEREAS, groundwater is a critically important natural resource that is vital to the economy and environment of the arid West; and WHEREAS, the Desert Land Act of 1877 and the United States Supreme Court in California...
Position #514 - Universal Access to Reliable, Clean Drinking Water for Federally Recognized Indian Tribes WHEREAS, access to reliable, clean drinking water is an essential human need that is critical to the public health, well-being, educational attainment, and economic...
Position #513 - Federal Research on Climate Adaptation WHEREAS, climate variability has serious potential consequences for water supply availability, water resources planning and management, water rights administration, flood management, and water quality management;...
Position #512 - Integrating Water and Energy Planning and Policy WHEREAS, the West enjoys diverse and abundant energy resources, including renewable and non-renewable resources, but water is scarce in much of the region and may or may not be sufficient for all proposed...
Position #511 - Water Infrastructure Funding WHEREAS, maintaining and delivering sufficient water supplies of suitable quality is key to the West’s economic prosperity, environmental needs, and our quality of life, both now and in the future; and WHEREAS, appropriate...