Information
Congressional Agenda Documents
WESTCAS publishes a Congressional Agenda Document for each Congressional Session in order to document the organization's policy position on federal authorizing and appropriation legislation. This document is also explicitly meant to introduce a reader to WESTCAS, as a water quality and quantity organization representing the water resource issues in the arid west. For further information, please refer to the following agenda document.
2007 110th Congress
2005 109th Congress
Washington Reports
Will and Carlson, Inc., as legislative advocate for WESTCAS, publishes the Washington Report three (3) times a year for presentation and distribution at the three (3) WESTCAS conferences. These reports are used by WESTCAS members as a means of staying abreast of current congressional initiatives and issues. For further information regarding Washington Reports, refer to the documents below.
February 2008 Washington Report
October 2007 Washington Report
June 2007 Washington Report
February 2007 Washington Report
Fall 2006 Washington Report
June 2006 Washington Report
February 2006 Washington Report
October 2005 Washington Report
Appropriations Testimony
WESTCAS utilizes its Legislative Committee for the review of legislation and preparation of testimony regarding proposed annual appropriations for federal agencies budgeted for water resource management activities. The Legislative Committee typically follows multiple federal agency budget proposals. For further insight into recent WESTCAS statements on agency appropriations, please refer to the specific example testimony below for the following agencies: Bureau of Reclamation, Corps of Engineers, EPA, USDA, USGS, and the Fish and Wildlife Service.
WESTCAS supports increased federal funding for water reclamation/reuse Title
XVI to assist in addressing the serious drought conditions throughout the
Reclamation states. See the following testimony for details.
WESTCAS EandW Approprops FY08 Bureau
WESTCAS supports increased funding for the Army Corps of Engineers, and the
establishment of performance criteria which will ensure water resource projects
are funded and completed within a timely manner. See the following testimony for
details.
WESTCAS EandW Corps08
WESTCAS supports increased funding for EPA's State Revolving Loan funding
programs for water and wastewater; water quality research; and State and Tribal
Assistance Grants (STAG). See the following testimony for details.
WESTCAS FY08 EPA Approps Testimony
WESTCAS supports increased funding for the FY08 USDA budget and FY07 Farm Bill
regarding conservation programs and rural development in order to protect water
quality and water supplies in the arid west. See the following testimony for
details.
WESTCAS Ag Approps Testimony Fy2008
WESTCAS is concerned about the ongoing reductions in the USGS budgets in light
of major changes in the Arid West due to global warming and natural disasters.
WESTCAS stresses the need for USGS scientific data and analyses to support water
resource management. See the following testimony for details.
WESTCAS Interior AppropsFY08 USGS
WESTCAS USGS Budget Analysis 06
Fish and Wildlife Budget 2007
Authorizing Testimony
WESTCAS utilizes its Legislative and Regulatory Committees for the review of legislation and preparation of testimony regarding specific water-related authorizing legislation. For further insight into recent WESTCAS policy positions on authorizing legislation, please refer to the example testimony below.
WESTCAS submitted testimony for the record regarding S. 2156 "The Science
and Engineering to Comprehensively Understand and Responsibly Enhance Water
Act (SECURE) before the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources,
December 11, 2007.
WESTCAS Testimony on S 2156 The Secure Water Act 12-11-07
The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee held two days of
hearings on July 17 and 19, 2007 on the "Status of the Nation's Waters,
Including Wetlands, Under the Jurisdiction of the Federal Water
Pollution Control Act. Much of the testimony provided was in
reference to H.R. 2421, a bill that would amend the Clean Water Act and
among other changes, alter the definition of "waters of the U.S.".
WESTCAS provided testimony for these hearings regarding the definition,
and it is included below.
WESTCAS waters of the U.S. testimony-house-July 2007
WESTCAS supports extending the authority for drought assistance via their support
for an amendment to the Reclamation States Emergency Drought Relief Act of 1991.
BOR Drought Relief Testimony
WESTCAS supports the development of a new Clean Water Funding Bill and
increased authorization for the Clean Water State Revolving Funds. WESTCAS
supports serious consideration of a Clean Water Trust Fund. See the following
testimony for details.
WESTCAS CW Infrastructure Financing January 19 07
Support Letter for Water Quality Financing
Water Infrastructure Financing Testimony
WESTCAS Support Letter
Key Legal Cases
WESTCAS members are kept abreast of key state and federal court decisions that
influence the management of water resources. Examples of key legal cases include
the following.
Western Amicus Brief
Western Users Amicus Brief
Western Amicus Motion
Key Water Policy Documents
WESTCAS members maintain a library of key water policy documents that have and
may influence water resource management in the arid west. The following
documents are examples of important policy documents archived by WESTCAS.