DC Report 3: Rep. David Price; Western States Water Council; FY2009 Budget

Yesterday morning at our NIWR meeting we heard from Rep. David Price (D-NC), a PhD political scientist and former Duke University professor who represents the Raleigh-Durham area.

Price contrasted the "old" water issues the East and Southeast formerly confronted: water pollution, flood control, and hydroelectric power generation. But things have changed, because now, the Southeast is experiencing serious water supplu problems. The Atlanta situation is well-known; I have even blogged about it. Memphis and Mississipi are squabbling over the city's pumping of ground water - 60 million gallons per day (mgd) - from beneath its southern neighbor. North Carolina is fighting the city of Virginia Beach's (VA) attempt to import 60 mgd from the Roanoke River via an 85-mile pipeline. And South Carolina is upset over North Carolina's diversions from the Catawba River.   

Price's own district has serious problem: Raleigh's supply is down to 119 days and Durham's is down to 243 days. In fact, 55% of North Carolina's population is under some kind of water conservation mandate.

If you are interested in learning more about the Southeast's water woes, check out Robert Osborne's excellent Watercrunch blog. He even recently "identified" an I-85 drought, that seems to be follow Interstate 85. Robert, you may have uncovered something of hydroclimatic significance!

What a change - sounds like good old fashioned Western wars!

Price noted that the Southeast, like the West, is growing rapidly. His own state faces high growth but has a limited water supply - no large rivers. Ground water is available in the state's coastal plain. He speculated about sustainable growth under such conditions, and called for sound water research to:

• improve infrastructure;
• identify efficient conservation measures;
• resolve interstate and intrastate conflicts; and
• forecast accurately.

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Last night we heard from Tony Willardson, Deputy Director of the Western States Water Council (WSWC), which is part of the Western Governors' Association (WGA). Tony mentioned that the WGA visualizes six water or water-related issues:

• growth;
• data;
• infrastructure;
• climate change;
• Indian water rights; and
• endangered species

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Several people told us that this will be a contentious year for the budget process, with the Democrats perhaps trying to hold out for a Democratic president who won't veto their budget. President Bush will not want to appear to be "caving in" to Congress during his final year. The word is that the Departments of Defense and Homeland Security will get their money, supplemental funding will be appropriated for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, but everything else might have to wait until the 111th Congress.

Could be a wild ride this year.

"The difference between an economist and a political scientist is that the economist believes people are rational." -- Unknown, courtesy of Tony Willardson

Comments

[Tom Gray]

Interesting and informative post. It's worth mentioning that generating electricity with wind energy, unlike all thermal power sources, uses no water. You can get the full lowdown on this issue from a Wind Powering America fact sheet, The Wind-Water Nexus (a Department of Energy publication). Just Google for the title.

Regards,
Thomas O. Gray
American Wind Energy Association
www.powerofwind.org
www.awea.org