Utah Water Resources Council papers, 1980-1981

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U T A H W A T E R R E S O U R C E S C O U N C IL P.O. Box 1713 Salt Lake C i t y . Utah 84110 April 15, 1981 Friends: Enclosed is a News Release with information on hearings on water resources policy and project development by the Senate Sub­committee on Water Resources. The Subcommittee plans a number of hearings - in Washington and in the field this summer - to provide a foundation that will enable it to write the first sig­nificant water resources bill since 1976. * With the U.S.Water Resources Council being phased out and its functions to be transferred to Department of Interior; with authority of EPA, in implementing the Clean Water Act, to be diminished; with Secretary Watt proposing more water developments in the west - you might find it beneficial to contribute informa­tion on western water resources biological functions and the recreat­ion values which result from these. And you might suggest alterna­tive water management ideas. At hearings in Washington to augment water in the Colorado River, Commissioner of Water and Power Resources Service, Robert Broadbent, and others, are oroposing weather modification as well as vegetation manipulation in National Forests and other public lands in the Basin States PS interim alternatives to water imnorta-tion from distant river drainage basins. A number of us who are trying to stop some pork barrel water projects in the Colorado River Basin, had opportunity at the 1981 National Dam Conference in mid-March in Washington, to explore alternative concepts for the Basin water management. These ideas are contrary to the supply-more-and-more-water and build-more-and-more dams philosophies. We are promoting municipal, industrial, and agricultural water conservation measures. We are investigating opening up State water practices to free marketing of water. We are suggesting, for example, that Arizona sell its water to California at a cheaper rate than California can build the Peripheral Canal. We are looking at water management within existing drainage basins. The free market concept is addressed in a 1980 Utah State Uni­versity Water Research Laboratory study - "Feasibility Study of Establishing Water Rights Banking/Brokering Service in Utah" - Jay M. Bagley, Kirk R. Kimball, and Lee Kapaloski. I have enclosed comments in a phone conversation with Attorney Kapaloski to clarify instream flow and Indian water issues in the free market. The Environmental Policy Center is completing its study on the dramatic reduction in water demand which can be achieved from adoption of conservation measures in municipal, industrial, and agricultural water use. Write them for a copy.* Widespread adoption of available conservation measures combined with efficient State water management programs would negate the need for augmenting