Action Items from the webinar:

  • Each Committee will review priority topics and discuss developing Principle Statements for 1-3 topics during 2020
  • Sue will follow-up with last year’s intern who worked on the PAS project to get her final report posted to the ICWP website
  • Each committee will develop their 2020 workplan on their first call/webinar of the year and identify both short and long-term topics
  • Drought was identified as a cross-cutting issue that will be added to each committees workplan discussion and considered for the first joint webinar topic
  1. Call to Order—ICWP Chair Amy Shallcross, DRBC called the meeting to order at 9:03 a.m. CST.  Amy welcomed members from all four of ICWP’s committees to this joint webinar to discuss the results of the membership Priorities Survey completed last fall and to make sure the high ranking topics are included into at least one of the committee workplan’s for 2020. 
  • Introductions of Participants on the call—Amy Shallcross, Sue Lowry, Drew Dehoff, Jessica Fritsche, Joy Loughry, Jennifer Hoggatt, Randall Doneen, Pooja Kanwar, Lauren Salvato, Loren Wobig, Jignasha Manek, Rhonda Manning, Jodee Pring, Mike Robertson, Sam Swartz, Zach Smith, Tom Littlepage, Brian Atkins, Molly Maupin, Kirsten Wallace, Carrie Weise, Carol Flaute, Melissa Moser.  On phone only:  Wes Cattoor, Gail Melgren
  • Results of Priorities Survey from ICWP membership—Sue Lowry
    • Sue described the two parts of the survey and recapped the top ranking topics in each:

Part I—Ranked on scale of 1 to 10

Should ICWP work with Congressional committees on items to include in the next Water Resources Development Act? (112 points)

The National Drought Resilience Partnership recently released their Action Plan which included sections such as Data Collection and Integration, Communication and Coordinating Drought Activity.  Should ICWP be working on these Drought issues in partnership with NIDIS and other water organizations?  (111 points)

Should ICWP continue to spearhead the development of a US Geological Survey Streamgaging Stakeholder Support letter? (104 points)

Should ICWP work on USACE Planning Assistance to States Program, including on items such as cost share and implementation?  (104 points)

Work with interstate water organizations to highlight, promote and nourish regional approaches and effective organizations.  (104 points)

Part II-Ranked on scale of 1 to 5

Should ICWP continue to spearhead the development of a US Geological Survey Streamgaging Stakeholder Support letter?  (25 points)

The National Drought Resilience Partnership recently released their Action Plan which included sections such as Data Collection and Integration, Communication and Coordinating Drought Activity.  Should ICWP be working on these Drought issues in partnership with NIDIS and other water organizations? (24 points)

Should ICWP work with Congressional committees on items to include in the next Water Resources Development Act? (24 points)

  • Development of Principles Statements by Committees—Sue described that it has been many years since ICWP has re-visited and freshened their position statements.  The old statements were quite long and now have dated material.  If each committee could identify 1 -3 topics to develop a Principles Statement for in 2020, that should result in around 10 topics that could be approved by the Board ahead of the 2020 Annual Meeting. Sue will add this topic to each agenda for the committees. 
  • Incorporating Survey topics into Workplans for 2020 for each Committee—Attached at the end of this meeting summary is a combined Workplan Document that highlights the 2019 accomplishments for each Committee as well as highlighting survey topics for 2020 workplans.  Each of the committee chairs spoke from this document. 
  1. Water Data and Science—Amy Shallcross
  2. Legislation and Policy—Gail Melgren, Interim Chair
  3. Water Planning—Jennifer Hoggatt
  4. Interstate Water Management—Drew Dehoff
  • Discuss Topics that fit into the mission of more than one committee
    • Examples include:
      • USGS Stakeholder letter:  WD&S and L & P
      • Drought Topics:  Planning and WD&S and L & P
      • Interstate aspects to many topics
      • FIRO suggested as also a good joint topic
  • Scheduling of joint committee efforts
    • Holding webinar topics of interest to multiple committees
      • Drought will be the focus of the next joint committee webinar.  It could last for 90 minutes and have 2 invited speakers.
  • Internship Topics for the Spring Semester 2020 interns will be added to the first meeting agenda for each of the committees.  The deadline for applications is Jan. 17, so we should know the background of the interns by the time the committee meetings are held. 
  • Closing remarks/Next Steps—Amy Shallcross noted that in 2020 the committees should document the results that culminated from the accomplishments, as well as the accomplishments themselves.  Comments were made that this all-committee meeting is a good way to kick off the new calendar year and hear about what the top priorities are for each of the committees. 

Combined Workplans from ICWP Committees for All Committee Webinar Discussion on January 8, 2020

Highlighted topics ranked high in Priorities Survey administered to full ICWP membership in Fall, 2019

Interstate Water Management Committee:  Educate public officials about value of interstate water management organizations.  Provide a forum for sharing current trends in interstate issues.

2019 Accomplishments:

  • Updated the 2006 “Interstate Water Solutions” report
  • Drafted an Interstates Water Primer
  • Updated Interstate Water Management Case Studies

Issues for 2020 Workplan

  1. Complete Interstates Report update
    1. Complete Primer
    1. Update on MS/TN groundwater litigation
    1. Compact case studies—Many of our state/interstate members have expertise on individual compacts and their administration.  The water quality issues between Arkansas and Oklahoma has been suggested.  There are likely other examples across the country.  Sue mentioned seeing Stephen Bartell at the ARWA meeting and he is willing to provide an update on the various interstate litigation the Dept. of Justice is involved in.
    1. Work with interstate water organizations to highlight, promote and nourish regional approaches and effective organizations.

Water Planning Committee:  Provide a forum of the exchange of ideas and concepts related to state and regional water planning. 

2019 Accomplishments:

  • Webinars from state planning efforts, including MN, MO, WY and Nebraska
  • Contributed Planning topics/speakers for Annual Meeting and Washington DC Roundtable

Issues for 2020 Workplan

  1. Continue with Webinar presentations from individual states on their water planning programs
  2. Support for PAS, including cost share change in WRDA letter
  3. Water Quality and Infrastructure—how ICWP might integrate these topics with our main mission topic areas
  4. Revolutionize CW Listening Session at 2020 Washington Roundtable

Legislation and Policy Committee:  Stay abreast of national legislation important to ICWP membership; Educate and advocate for state/interstate positions to Congress and federal agencies

2019 Accomplishments:

  • Submitted a letter on Dept. of Interior Re-organization
  • Sent letter to ASA Rd James regarding PAS funding for full range of authorized purposes
  • Submitted WRDA20 support letter to Senate EPW committee

Issues for 2020 Workplan

  1. WRDA2020 Topics
    1. USACE Partnership Agreements
      1. Liability Clause
      1. Indemnification
    1. Other items for WRDA2020
      1. PAS cost share to include in-kind for Tech Services
      1. Major rehab costs relative to annual OMRR&R
      1. Spreading large OMRR&R costs over several years
      1. Support for FIRO
      1. Support for WIFIA
  2. USGS Streamgaging support—getting letter to more audiences and reviewing stakeholder list for omissions 
    1. Opportunity for a states’ support letter
    1. Whether to expand to Water Use and other topics beyond Streamgaging
  3. Drought Planning/Preparedness-NIDIS Support (& the DEWS)
    1. Items from NDRP’s Action Plan that ICWP supports
    1. Baseline funding for USDM
    1. Support for a new ag-centric product (better capture flash drought)
  4. Reauthorization topics for WUDR
  5. National Water Model—promoting water supply forecasting capabilities
  6. NOAA/DOI Improved Forecasting Action Plan
  7. Legislation Following:
    1. Resilient Communities Revolving Loan Fund Act (HR3779)

Water Data and Science Committee:  Mission is to educate ICWP members on current data and science trends and to advocate support for data and science programs at the national level.

2019 Accomplishments:

Issues for 2020 Workplan

  1. Potential ICWP Support of USGS Efforts
    1. USGS NGWOS—including future basin selections
    1. Water-Use Data and Research—Review next USGS compilations
    1. IWAA indices that make sense as indicators (Mindi request at Mobile)
    1. Review of NAS Study on USGS Water Discipline
    1. Multi-Signature support letter for Streamgaging Programs
      1. Early spring letter signed by stakeholders
      1. Letter in the fall signed by states/interstates/tribes
  2. Climate/Weather Extremes/Drought
    1. Flash Droughts
    1. NIDIS/NDRP—Support baseline, firm funding source for US Drought Monitor
    1. Support for a 2nd product similar to USDM specific to ag relief programs
    1. Support for expansion of Drought Impacts Reporter
    1. Baseline for determining Climate Change
    1. Paleo-drought studies
  3. Other items the Committee could explore:
    1. Internet of Water
    1. Data Portals/Data Exchange
    1. Support for NRCS Snow Survey Program
  4. National Water Model Priorities
    1. Especially understanding the underlying models and how those could be used by others
    1. Support for NHDPlusHR and its modeling capabilities
  5. Tracking of Emerging Tools or Trends in Water Data/Science
    1. Forecast Informed Reservoir Operations
    1. Seasonal to Sub-Seasonal Forecasting
    1. NASA Western Water Office—Adel will keep the committee apprised of any activities of interest beyond the western states.