2016 ANNUAL REPORT of the WESTERN STATES WATER COUNCIL 51st Annual Report TABLE OF CONTENTS Page INTRODUCTION. iv MEMBERS ADDRESSES AND PHONE NUMBERS . 1 COMMITTEE AND SUBCOMMITTEE ASSIGNMENTS . 9 WESTFAST MEMBERS . 14 COUNCIL MEMBERS. 16 COUNCIL STAFF . 17 COUNCIL MEMBERSHIP/STAFF CHANGES/NEWS . 18 COUNCIL MEETINGS Spring - Washington, DC . 20 Summer - Bismarck, North Dakota. 21 Fall - St. George, Utah . 24 OTHER MEETINGS Western Governors’ Association . 28 Species Conservation and Endangered Species Act Initiative . 28 Annual Meeting . 29 National Forest and Rangeland Management Initiative . 31 Winter Meeting. 32 White House Summit on Building a Sustainable Water Future . 34 Sub-Seasonal to Seasonal Precipitation Forecasting Workshops . 35 Groundwater and Federal Water Needs Workshop. 39 Council of State Governments West . 39 WATER DATA EXCHANGE . 42 WESTERN STATES FEDERAL AGENCY SUPPORT TEAM . 47 OTHER IMPORTANT ACTIVITIES AND EVENTS Western States Water . 50 Western Governors’ State of the State Addresses. 50 White House . 52 FY2017 Budget Request/Water Innovation Initiative. 52 Bureau of Reclamation . 53 2016 Consolidated Appropriations Act . 53 Cooperative Watershed Management Program . 54 SECURE Water Reports. 55 New Water Available to Every Reclamation State Act. 55 Drought Response Program . 56 Glen Canyon Dam/WaterSMART . 56 i Clean Water Act/Environmental Protection Agency. 58 Waters of the United States . 58 Senate Joint Resolution . 58 Appellate Court Jurisdiction . 59 Congressional Activities on WOTUS . 64 Nationwide Permits . 65 Gold King Mine . 66 National Priorities List. 66 New Mexico/Navajo Nation . 67 Aquatic Resources . 69 EPA Veto Authority . 70 Cooperative Federalism . 70 NPDES Stormwater Rule . 71 Tribal Water Quality Standards . 71 Corps of Engineers . 73 CWA Jurisdictional Determinations . 73 Water Resources Development Act . 76 House. 76 Senate . 79 Nationwide Permits . 83 Drought . 84 White House Drought Symposium . 84 Building National Capabilities for Long-Term Drought Resilience . 85 Response to Drought and Water Security. 85 National Integrated Drought Information System. 86 National Drought Resilience Partnership . 87 Earthquakes and Wastewater Injection . 89 Oklahoma . 89 Texas . 89 Forest Service . 89 House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Water, Power and Oceans Hearing . ..