Meeting Information
Agenda
Hotel and Registration Info
Support
Support for WGA's Enlibra program is provided by
the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation
and by Region IX of the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency
Background Information on Enlibra
Examples of Enlibra in Action
Policy Resolution
Outlining Enlibra Principles
Frequently Asked Questions
Advisory Committee
Publications, Press Releases and
Speeches
Meetings
Resource Guide
|
|
Environmental Summit
on the West II
Meeting Growing and Competing
Demands for Water
Competing demands for water such as for growth, in-stream flows for
endangered species, water quality and TMDL's, and historic Indian water
and fishing rights have often led to conflicts, all of which are
exasperated during times of drought. In this breakout, we will explore the
issues associated with the growing demands for fresh water when supplies
are insufficient to meet those often competing demands.
The goals for this track are:
- Illustrate examples of past conflicts over water to demonstrate the
breadth of demands on water and the various impacts that result when
these divergent demands are not met.
- Provide models for applying the Enlibra principles and Park City
principles to overcome the inherent conflicts of insufficient water
supplies.
- Explore and discuss regulatory and legal barriers that compound and
perpetuate conflicts over water, and develop recommendations for
overcoming those barriers.
Questions to be addressed:
- What is needed to ensure broad stakeholder involvement in both the
identification of the problems leading to water conflicts, and to
development of the solutions?
- What tools are available to address water conflicts? What changes
are needed in the existing tools to improve their effectiveness?
- What improvements are needed in the science and data to characterize
problems and to monitor and forecast water supplies?
- What direction and flexibility is need to help integrate programs
and resources on the ground to meet the array of programmatic needs
and requirements? What monitoring and accountability measures need to
be coupled with greater flexibility to meet objectives?
- What constitutes effective drought preparedness planning, and what
is needed to make sure the plans are implemented and don't just sit on
the shelf collecting dust?
Case Studies
Hosts/Moderators: Ben Grumbles, Deputy Assistant Administrator, Office of Water, U.S. EPA,
and
Michael Brophy; Ryley, Carlock & Applewhite; Chairman, Western States
Water Council
Water as a Key Element for Endangered Species
This case study, which will be a joint session with the Breakout on
"Species Conservation," will address the opportunities and
challenges to meeting the water-related needs of endangered and
threatened species within the context of state water law. Using the
Lemhi River Basin in Idaho and the Walla Walla River in Washington
and Oregon as examples,
speakers will describe efforts to comply with ESA requirements to
protect endangered fish species. Included in this discussion will be
consideration of the various tools available including habitat
conservation plans, candidate conservation agreements, safe harbor
agreements, instream flow requirements, water purchases, transfers,
leases, banking and other state and federal tools.
Presenters:
Lemhi River Basin – Karl
Dreher, Idaho Department of Water Resources
Walla Walla – J. Dave Mastin, Deputy Minority Leader, Washington House
of Representatives
Settling Indian Water Rights Claims
The concept of reserved water rights originated from the landmark case
Winters v. United States, which held that when the federal government
established a reservation, the government implicitly reserved a quantity
of water necessary to fulfill the purposes of the reservation.
Historically, costly and protracted litigation was the general method
used to quantify Winters rights, and often it resulted in
"paper" water only. In this case study, we will consider an
alternative to litigation, which in many cases has proved to be a more
effective means of quantifying Winters rights, and resulted in
"wet" water to the tribes.
Presenters:
John Echohawk, Native American Rights Fund, Boulder, Colorado
Jim Morsette, Water Resources Director, Chippewa Cree Tribe of Rocky Boys,
Montana
Susan Cottingham, Montana Reserved Water Rights Compact Commission
Mike Jackson, Jackson & Assoc.; former Dep. Dir., Sen. Indian
Affairs Comm.
David Hayes, Latham & Watkins; Former Deputy Secretary, Dep. of the
Interior
Planning for Drought
Conflicts over water are tough enough when supplies are relatively
stable. Extended periods of drought, whether through El Nino, La Nina,
global warming, or as a natural weather phenomenon can greatly
exasperate conflicts among water users within a watershed. Despite the
significant impacts caused by drought, our nation does not currently
have a coordinated, integrated policy to prepare for and respond to
drought disasters.
Drought preparedness planning, which can greatly mitigate the impacts
of drought, is nonexistent or in its infancy in most areas of the
country. During this case study, we will contemplate the occurrence of
drought and its various impacts. We will look at how drought
preparedness planning in Montana has been used to avoid or lessen the
conflicts which have arisen during their on-going, four-year drought,
and contrast that with the experiences in the Klamath River Basin during
this last year.
Presenters:
Klamath River Basin – Paul Cleary, Oregon Department of Water
Resources
Montana Drought Plan – Jack Stults, Montana Water Resources Division
Resources
WGA Resolution on Park City
Principles
WGA Resolution on Indian Water
Rights
WGA Resolutions on Endangered Species -- 2000
and 2001
WGA Resolutions on Water
Resources
WGA related projects
Western States Water Council
Montana Drought Monitor
www.yearofcleanwater.org
|