Coconino Plateau Water Advisory Council
January 26, 2007
USGS Building #3
2255 N Gemini Drive,
Flagstaff, Arizona 86001
Water Advisory Council Members Present
Eunice Tso, Vice-Chair, Navajo Nation
Deb Hill, Coconino County
John Kocjan, City of Page
Jerry Sekayumptewa, Hopi Tribe
Tom Whitmer, Arizona Department of Water Resources
Shaula Hedwall, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Ron Sieg, Arizona Game and Fish Department
Bob Michaels, Bureau of Reclamation
Carol Boyd, Coconino National Forest
Stu Lovejoy, Kaibab National Forest
Barry Baker, Tusayan
Michael Macauley, Coconino NRCD
Lisa McNeilly, The Nature Conservancy
Charlie Schlinger, NAU
Eunice Tso, Vice Chairman, opened the meeting and introductions were made.
On a motion by Deb Hill, seconded by Carol Boyd, the minutes from the December 6, 2006 WAC meeting were approved as submitted.
The first item on the agenda was an update on the feasibility study process. Tom Whitmer said that ADWR had attempted to set up a meeting with legislative staff but it turned into a statewide meeting and the Coconino Plateau Partnership only had about 5 minutes of discussion. Tom noted that SB895 was signed into law and that it gives the Interior Secretary authority to conduct appraisal/feasibility level study and he confirmed that this means the Bureau of Reclamation now has the authority through this Bill. He said the Bill provides 12 months for the Secretary to develop criteria and identify regions. He said this could delay the feasibility process up to 18 months. Tom said that they are continuing meeting with congressional staff and there is still a possibility to move the request for authority forward through that channel as well. Tom said one way or another we will be going to feasibility, whether in the next 3-4 months or 18 months.
Eunice suggested that Tom go ahead and give his legislative update at this time as well. Tom gave an update on what was being proposed with water adequacy and water development fund.
The next item was follow-up from the Strategic Planning Retreat. Sue Pratt reviewed the revisions that had been made to the strategic plan based on the discussion at the December 6 WAC meeting. There were no recommended changes and it was approved as submitted.
Eunice then asked Deb Hill to provide her report on Public Outreach Committee. Deb said that the committee had met to discuss items from the Strategic Plan. She noted there were limitations with the capacity of the committee with usually no more than 5 members in attendance. She said that the strategic plan calls for education, and the question from the POC to the WAC is don’t the members already do this with PIO and other education programs.
She said the logo design is moving forward. As for the web design they were looking for someone to host the site and be the webmaster. Both the City of Flagstaff and Coconino County were looking at the possibility of being the host.
Deb noted that there is no budget for the committee.
Eunice moved to Item 5 on the agenda, which was expanding membership on the committees. Discussion about expanding the POC, and that the Government Affairs Committee (GAC) needed members who would be able to lobby.
Item #6 on the agenda was the TAC report which was provided by Leslie Meyers. She noted that the TAC was also in the process of moving through the strategic plan items and will report back to the WAC on what needs to be done to realize the 2007 goals, also with a recommended prioritization and funding request.
In regard to the feasibility study, there was discussion about including the Hopi lands, scoping, scheduling, and budget. She said that the TAC had addressed at length the alternatives to be studied at feasibility, and if the WAC wanted they could go into more detail on this recommendation at the next WAC meeting.
Eunice gave the report from the GAC, noting that they are working on incorporating the strategic plan into their organizational policies and goals.
Tom Whitmer gave the SWAG update, noting that Deb Hill was chairing the lot split subcommittee of the SWAG. Deb explained that the issue of requiring water adequacy for subdivisions would result in the undesirable consequence of promoting more development through lot splits. She further noted that many of the lot splits are generated from “unsubdivided lands” developments, and that her subcommittee was looking into the history of that and what may be able to be done to address those types of developments.
Tom said that there is another subcommittee of the SWAG which is addressing exempt wells. He gave the background of the issue, that it is primarily small domestic wells. He said that no one really knows what’s going on with these wells as permits aren’t required and they aren’t metered. Without this information they don’t know the impacts in areas where they exist.
Shaula asked about effect of Proposition 207 on these proposals. Tom said that they would fall under the public health exemption, but that it would no doubt be left to the courts to decide.
Eunice noted that the election of Chairman and Vice-Chairman are up for election in March.
Don Bills reported that the Hydrogeology Report for the Coconino Plateau was now published.
Abe Springer gave an update on the Arizona Water Institute, noting that the associate directors of ADWR and ADOC will be at NAU Monday at 3 p.m. for a meeting. He also gave the web site for the water institute www.azwaterinstitute.org
The meeting adjourned at 11:20.