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The Water Resources Coalition was established in
2007 to promote the development, implementation and funding of a
comprehensive national water resources policy. With member
organizations representing state and local governments,
conservation, engineering and construction, ports, waterways and
transportation services, the Coalition works to ensure that a
comprehensive, national water resources policy is developed,
implemented and funded to provide a sustainable, productive
economy; a healthy aquatic ecology; and public health and safety.
For more information, visit the Water Resources Coalition Web site
at www.waterresourcescoalition.org.
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Freshman
Named Chairman of Water Resources Subcomittee
Rep. Robert Gibbs (R-OH), a first-term congressman
from southeastern Ohio, has been named chairman of the Water
Resources and Environment subcommittee of the House Transportation
and Infrastructure (T&I) Committee. Gibbs served six years
(2003-2009) in the Ohio House of Representatives. He served
one term (2009-2011) in the Ohio Senate, where he was chair of the
Senate Ways and Means Committee. He also served on the
Highways and Transportation Committee. The Water Resources and
Environment subcommittee has jurisdiction over federal water
resources programs under the Army Corps of Engineers and water
quality rules under the Clean Water Act.
Another freshman, Rep. Jeff Denham (R-CA), will chair
the Economic Development, Public Buildings and Emergency Management
subcommittee. The subcommittee has
jurisdiction over the General Services Administration and the
Federal Emergency Management Agency.
The other four subcommittees will be headed by veteran
House members. Rep. Thomas Petri (R-WI) will chair the
Aviation subcommittee; Rep. Frank LoBiondo (R-NJ) will chair the
Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation subcommittee; Rep. John J.
Duncan (R-TN) will lead the Highways and Transit subcommittee; and
Rep. Bill Shuster (R-PA) will chair the Railroads, Pipelines and
Hazardous Materials subcommittee.
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Environmental
Groups Fight Delaware Dredging
The New Jersey Environmental Federation, Clean Water
Action, Delaware Nature Society, and the National Wildlife
Federation joined together this week to appeal a federal court
ruling that supported the Corps of Engineers' plan to deepen the
Delaware River.
Congress authorized the Corps to deepen the river's 40
foot main shipping channel by 5 feet in 1992, but environmental
groups have been fighting back ever since. The argument of the
environmental groups is that damage to the river and aquatic life
would outweigh the economic benefits and that taxpayers would spend
more on the $300 million project than the region would gain from
shipping traffic.
The judge who made the decision in favor of the Corps
believed it was the agencies duty to maintain navigation in the
region, even though state authority was trumped. Work will continue
on the dredging project while the issue remains in court.
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California
Bay-Delta Conservation Plan Progressing
Secretary of the
Interior Ken Salazar and California Natural Resources
Secretary Lester Snow held a joint call urging continued
collaboration between federal and state agencies on the
California Bay-Delta Conservation Plan.
The plan would
integrate ecosystem restoration, conveyance improvements and other
actions in order to reverse serious declines in species native to
the area and provide water supply certainty. Secretary Snow also released a
summary document outlining progress thus far on the Bay-Delta
Conservation Plan and provided new details on key elements. The
summary calls for 105,000 to 115,000 acres of habitat restoration
along with a new dual-tunnel water conveyance system that would
rely on daily water flow and environmental data to protect species.
The planned system would cost an estimated $12.7 billion, which
would be financed by water users.
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Water
Resources Planning Report Released
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Bureau of
Reclamation have published a report, "Addressing Climate
Change in Long-Term Water Resources Planning and Management: User
Needs for Improving Tools and Information," that identifies
the needs of local, state, and federal water management agencies
for climate change information and tools to support long-term
planning.
The report seeks to focus research and technology
efforts to address information and tools needed for longer-term
water resources planning and management. It found there were gaps
in the information and tools to help water managers in how to use
climate change information to make decisions, how to assess the
responses of natural systems to climate change, and how to
communicate the results and uncertainties of climate change
assessments to decision-makers.
The report can be
found here.
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WRDA Projects Are Not Earmarks
With the new push to end all earmarks it should
be noted that projects that are named in the Water Resources
Development Act (WRDA) are NOT earmarks.
In order for projects to be named
in WRDA they must pass a rigorous process in order
to be authorized. Projects are studied for a decade or more to
determine if the flood control, storm damage reduction,
navigation, or port deepening project meets the national interest
and then most of these projects are cost-shared by non-Federal
sponsors. Additionally, these projects must prove a return of
at least $1 in national benefits for every $1 of project cost
and go through internal and external reviews as requested by
Congress. Therefore, projects in the WRDA bill are not
earmarks, but legitimate, well thought out projects, that meet
significant national needs.
With WRDA being the sole vehicle for many of these
authorized projects to be funded, stripping them out of a WRDA bill
would not allow the nation to meet its water resources needs.
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WaterSMART
Program Announces Grant Opportunity
The Bureau of Reclamation has announced that a Water
and Energy Efficiency Grant funding opportunity is now available.
The grant announcement is available on www.grants.gov using funding
opportunity number R11SF80303.
This is the second funding opportunity this fiscal year under the
WaterSMART program. A funding opportunity was previously announced
for California Bay-Delta water conservation projects on November
15, 2010. Funding opportunities for System Optimization Review
Grants, Advanced Water Treatment Pilot and Demonstration Grants,
and Research Grants will be announced in early 2011.
Reclamation is seeking proposals for projects that seek to conserve
and use water more efficiently, increase the use of renewable
energy in water management, protect threatened and endangered
species, facilitate water markets, and carry out other activities
to address climate-related impacts on water or prevent any
water-related crisis or conflict.
The WaterSMART (Sustain and Manage America's Resources for
Tomorrow) program is intended to address the most significant
challenges facing our water supplies in the 21st century, including
population growth, climate change, rising energy demands,
environmental needs, and aging infrastructure. To learn more about
the WaterSMART program please visit www.usbr.gov/WaterSMART.
Proposals must be submitted as indicated on www.grants.gov by February 17, 2011,
4:00 p.m. Mountain Standard Time (MST). It is anticipated that
awards will be made in the spring.
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Brian Pallasch and Marco Giamberardino
Water Resources Coalition
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