Western Governors Association weighs in on Water Supply Infrastructure

On June 5, the WGA sent a letter to the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources regarding the Water Supply Infrastructure and Drought Resilience Act (S. 2563). Citing relevant WGA Policy Resolutions, the letter expresses support for: (1) efficient permitting processes for the construction, operation, and maintenance of water infrastructure facilities, with a caveat about respecting state sovereign authority (§101 et seq.); (2) language authorizing states to determine whether their participation in “one-stop” permitting is appropriate (§102(c)); (3) extending eligibility in the Cooperative Watershed Management Program to groups sponsored by states and conservation districts (§113); (4) transparency from the Bureau of Reclamation (§121 et seq.), as well as all other federal agencies; (5) a pilot project reviewing flood control rule curves (§201 et seq.); (6) protection of state water rights (§301 et seq.); and (7) codification of EPA’s water transfers rule (§311)