Congressional Water Caucus organizing
Members of a newly organized bipartisan Congressional Water Caucus are inviting additional members as they prepare an educational agenda.
A "Dear Colleague" letter, sent out in mid-August and signed by five co-chairs and 29 original members in the House of Representatives, says the goal of the Water Caucus is to "provide timely, scientific information and dialogue about water resources and water use."
A spokesman in the office of Caucus co-chair Rep. Bart Stupak, D-Mich., said that while nothing had been officially scheduled as yet, the Caucus was "working to prepare informational briefings on water issues."
Other co-chairs are Rep. John Linder, R-Ga., Rep. Jim Costa, D-Calif., Rep. George Radanovich, R-Calif., and Rep. Grace Napolitano, D-Calif. The other original members include 17 Democrats and 12 Republicans, with California having the largest representation (12), followed by Texas (4), Maryland (2) and one each from Florida, Georgia, Virginia, Michigan, Wisconsin, Colorado, New Mexico, Wyoming, Arizona, Nevada and Oregon.
Twelve Principles of Water Policy were outlined in the organizational letter:
• Ensure an adequate supply of fresh water for U.S. citizens, securing a sufficient water supply for both urban and rural areas;
• Consider all available technologies for increasing water supply efficiently while safeguarding the environment, including the use of best management practices;
• Recommend a means of capturing and storing excess water for future droughts;
• Implement strategies to improve water use efficiencies and reduce water waste;
• Support adequate funding to implement water re-use strategies wherever appropriate;
• Advocate the coordination of efforts by Congress, the President, and state and local government to solve water issues;
• Consolidate and streamline efforts between local, state, and Federal government agencies to reduce the bureaucratic red tape many local communities face when trying to build water reservoirs and other infrastructure needs;
• Protect the rights of state and local governments;
• Suggest financing options for new public works water projects;
• Encourage federal assistance to state and local governments to identify potential groundwater banking as part of sustainable water supplies;
• Recognize international implications for water resources shared with other nations; and
• Collect and share data related to water use and water quality to determine effectiveness of policy.
