Date: 08/11/2015
Final
BILL SUMMARY for Arkansas River Basin Roundtable Basin Implementation Plan
WATER RESOURCES REVIEW COMMITTEE
| Votes: View--> | Action Taken: |
| <none> | <none> |
06:31 PM -- Arkansas River Basin Roundtable Basin Implementation Plan
Jim Broderick, Chairman, Arkansas River Basin Roundtable, welcomed members of the committee to the Arkansas River Basin and presented information regarding the Arkansas River Basin Roundtable Basin Implementation Plan (BIP). He thanked members of the roundtable for their participation in the production of the BIP, which consists of 525 recommendations. Some of these are ready for implementation, while others are only conceptual at this stage.
06:34 PM
Mr. Broderick enumerated the priorities of the basin, including agriculture, municipal and industrial use, recreation, and conservation. He expressed the roundtable's belief that each of these priorities requires the implementation of additional water storage. He explained that the basin both imports water from and exports water to other river basins, and that the roundtable therefore has a conflicted view of trans-mountain diversions.
06:37 PM
Mr. Broderick stated the roundtable's belief in the importance of promoting watershed health. He explained that the committee is attempting to utilize grassroots mechanisms to attain this objective, since many grassroots mechanisms are already in place in the basin. He also explained that the roundtable has not advocated many legislative solutions, as it prefers to address most issues at local levels.
06:40 PM
Mr. Broderick discussed the roundtable's approach to financing the projects it has identified. The roundtable recognizes that prioritizing funding for different programs is difficult, but considerations of financial priorities are explained in detail in the Arkansas BIP.
06:43 PM
Mr. Broderick explained the challenges of planning for wet and dry years simultaneously. He emphasized the importance of educating members of the public on basin water issues and the BIP, and stated that this remains an area of concern for the roundtable. He stated his support for multi-purpose funding mechanisms, but also contended that projects seeking funding must demonstrate that they will make progress toward reduction of the projected supply gap. He conveyed the roundtable's uncertainty about the strategic actions it will take after the final version of the state water plan is published. Finally, he discussed the importance of expanded water storage not only for the sake of increased storage capacity, but also for flexibility in basin water planning and the strategic movement of water from one part of the basin to another.
06:51 PM
Senator Roberts thanked Mr. Broderick for his presentation and encouraged members of the public to provide feedback on the state water plan through public testimony.