The need for administrative and regulatory reforms in water-related issues was voiced by western U.S. water attorneys, water agencies, irrigation districts and others during an Apr. 13 hearing by the House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Water, Power, and Oceans.
Water attorneys decried the regulatory burden. "Unnecessary regulation makes supplying the water we all depend on more difficult, and in some instances, can prevent the development or maintenance of vital water infrastructure," attorney Lawrence E. Martin of the Halverson Northwest Law Group in Yakima, Wash., testified.
The Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Waters of the U.S. (WOTUS) rule was a primary concern voiced by those representing water interests. "This jurisdictional creep has been to the detriment of local communities and water users who rely on the efficient delivery of water for crops, jobs, and the health of our economy," Martin said.
Western water users have to contend with "a conflicting web of federal regulations and bureaucracy that add costs to ratepayer's bills and help perpetuate drought," Subcommittee Chair Rep. John Fleming, R-Fla., said.
Low water allocations, such as those seen in parts of Northern and Central California, were also cited as major issues facing water users. Rather than reducing allocations to protect species like the Delta smelt, "the solution is increasing yield by building local projects," potentially with federal financing, Andrew Fecko, director of resource development in the Placer County Water Agency testified.
A proposal was made to encourage the use of title transfers to spur greater development of water resources. Such transfers allow federal water projects to be handed over for local management, which would allow local users to be "empowered and [give them an] opportunity to run a more efficient operation," Jeremy Sorensen, general manager of the Strawberry Water Users Association noted.