Formally-adopted positions of the Western States Water Council
Position #471 - September 16, 2021 WHEREAS, States have responsibly exercised their delegated authority under the Clean Water Act (CWA) Section 401 and under state water quality statutes to protect water quality, and must consider proposed activities and discharges in...
Position #470 - June 25, 2021 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 conservation of endangered...
Position #469 - June 25, 2021 WHEREAS, the Western States Water Council has long declared its position that the transport of water through constructed conveyances to supply beneficial uses should not trigger federal National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System...
Position #468 - June 25, 2021 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 and quality of life; and WHEREAS,...
Position #467 - March 25, 2021 WHEREAS, the Dividing the Waters Program of the National Judicial College has served western judges overseeing complex water litigation for more than 20 years, providing information and training resources on water law and water conflicts...
Position #466 - March 25, 2021 WHEREAS, groundwater is a critically important natural resource that is vital to the economy and environment of the arid West; WHEREAS, the Desert Land Act of 1877 and the United States Supreme Court in California Oregon Power Co. v....
Position #465 - March 25, 2021 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 development of all communities in the United States; and WHEREAS, lack of...
Position #464 - March 25, 2021 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; and WHEREAS, much of the...
Position #463 - March 25, 2021 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 uses; and WHEREAS, power plant...
Position #462 - March 25, 2021 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 water-related...