WaterWired

CRS Insight Report: 'Drought Contingency Plans for the Colorado River Basin'

Charles V. Stern has penned this critical 4-page CRS Insight report (dated 15 February 2019): Drought Contingency Plans for the Colorado River.   

I have pasted the entire report below and along with a PDF version. The online version may have some hot links; you can find that version hereor by clicking on the title above.

Download CRS_Insight_Drought_CRB_15February2019

Introduction
The Colorado River Basin is a critical source of water and power supplies for seven western states and Mexico. The basin is in the midst of a long-term drought. Water levels at the basin's two largest reservoirs, Lake Mead and Lake Powell, could reach critically low levels. Building on prior agreements, the basin states and the Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) recently announced drought contingency plans (DCPs) that aim to decrease the likelihood of major water and power supply curtailments for users.

Colorado River Basin in Context
The Colorado River Basin (Figure 1) covers approximately 246,000 square miles, 97% of which are in the United States. It includes the Colorado River and its tributaries, which cross the United States border into Mexico before discharging into the Gulf of California. Pursuant to federal law, multiple federal facilities (e.g., Hoover Dam) store and convey water from the river and its tributaries and generate hydropower for the southwestern United States. The primary federal agency with jurisdiction over the river is Reclamation, an agency within the Department of the Interior (DOI).

Based on observed data, average natural Colorado River flows in the 20th century were about 15 million acre-feet (maf) annually. Flows have dipped during an ongoing, long-term drought dating from 2000; Reclamation estimated that from 2008 to 2018, flows averaged 12.9 maf.

Colorado River Compact
The Colorado River Compact of 1922, agreed to by the basin states and the federal government, is the foundation of the "Law of the River," which governs water management. Under the compact, water supplies are divided equally between the Upper Basin and the Lower Basin, with the dividing line at Lee's Ferry, AZ (near the Utah Border). Each basin was apportioned 7.5 maf annually. Congress approved the compact in the Boulder Canyon Project Act of 1928. Multiple other compacts, federal laws, court decisions, and regulatory guidelines have since been added to the Law of the River. State-level apportionments were established by documents approved subsequent to the Colorado River Compact. Pursuant to a 1944 treaty with Mexico, an additional 1.5 maf per year was reserved for flows to Mexico.

Supply/Demand Imbalance
Consumptive use in the basin typically exceeds natural flows, and studies project this trend will lead to a long-term imbalance in basin supply and demand. The basin has thus far avoided major impacts on supplies due in large part to its significant storage (60 maf), coupled with the fact that Upper Basin states have not fully developed their entitlement. However, less water is in storage as a result of the drought. Additional supply/demand imbalance could result from projected population increases and the development of tribal water rights, among other things.

Drought Contingency Plans
In October 2018, after several years of negotiations, draft DCPs were announced for the Upper and Lower Basins. The DCPs aim to decrease the likelihood of major supply curtailments and other basin impacts. They build on a series of prior agreements:

1) 2003 Quantification Settlement Agreement (QSA). California agreed to reduce water use to adhere to its Colorado River water allocation and committed to a path for restoration of the Salton Sea in Southern California.

2) 2007 Colorado River Interim Guidelines for Lower Basin Shortages and Coordinated Operations for Lake Powell and Lake Mead. These guidelines included criteria for "balancing" releases from Lakes Mead and Powell and a mechanism for storing conserved water in Lake Mead. They also included a schedule of Lower Basin curtailments in Arizona and Nevada if Lake Mead drops to an elevation of 1,075 feet or less (i.e., a "shortagecondition"). As of January 2019, there was a 69% chance of a shortage condition beginning in 2020.

3) 2014 Pilot System Conservation Program. This DOI-led effort provided cost-shared funding for projects to conserve water supplies in the Lower Basin.

4) 2017 Minute 323 agreement with Mexico. This agreement extended and replaced the previous Minute 319 agreement (2012) with Mexico. It included increased U.S. storage opportunities for Mexico and a binational plan that would commit Mexico to new delivery curtailments parallel to those in the Lower Basin DCP.

The Upper Basin DCP would establish a Demand Management Program for the Upper Basin by authorizing storage of conserved water in Lake Powell. It also would establish 3,525 feet as the target operational level for Lake Powell. Together, these efforts would decrease the risk of Lake Powell's elevation falling below 3,490 feet, at which point reduced hydropower generation and cutbacks to water users are possible.

The Lower Basin DCP would require that when Lake Mead reaches predetermined elevations, Lower Basin states would forgo deliveries beyond previously agreed-upon levels. It would further incentivize voluntary conservation of water to be stored in Lake Mead and commit DOI to conserving 100,000 acre-feet of water that will be left in the system. The agreement aims to avoid Lake Mead elevations falling below 1,020 feet.

DCP implementation requires approval by basin states and stakeholders of the DCPs and a number of related intrastate agreements. Federal actions in the DCPs also require authorization by Congress. On February 1, 2019, Reclamation Commissioner Brenda Burman announced that basin states had not completed all of the required steps to approve the DCPs by a previously established January 31 deadline. Thus, the bureau published a Federal Register notice requesting input from basin state governors regarding how DOI might reduce the risk of drought in the basin. If the DCPs are completed by March 4, the notice would be rescinded and the DCPs could be finalized with congressional authorization. If they are not completed, DOI may use its authority to make unilateral water delivery cutbacks in the basin.

Enjoy!

"I've searched all the parks in all the cities and found no statues of committees." - G.K. Chesterton

Josh's Water Jobs and More! 19 February 2019

From Josh:

I’m currently on holiday for a few weeks, but will keep these going. There are more to upload, but the below list is “deadline proof” for what I have (meaning that all jobs with deadlines before next week’s list, and a few days after, and all those without deadlines are posted to the site).
 
And, in case you missed the latest blog on how this whole site/list work.

Click here for this week's jobs.

Josh’s Pick:   1) Local recruitment: Program Analyst (Water Global Practice) – The World Bank(Washington, DC): 28 February (Has been a long while since the Water Global Practice has hired a junior professional…)   Highlighted:   2) Chief Executive Officer – Alliance for Water Stewardship Asia-Pacific (Australia): 12 March   3) Junior Consultant (Water and Sanitation) – GFA Consulting Group (Germany): 28 February   4) Two Research Interns (Climate Change Negotiations and IPCC) – African Group of Negotiators Expert Support (AGNES) (Nairobi): 1 March   5) Linking WASH services delivery sustainability to water security and social inclusion dimensions (MSc or Consultancy) – Wetlands International: Until filled   Three internships at GWP in Stockholm:   6) Water and Climate Internship – Global Water Partnership (GWP) (Stockholm): 10 March   7) SDG 6 Support Programme Internship – Global Water Partnership (GWP) (Stockholm): 10 March   8) IWRM Knowledge Internship (Part-time, Long-term) – Global Water Partnership (GWP)(Stockholm): 10 March   Deadline today (19 February)!   9) Syria nationals: WASH Coordinator – CARE (Syria): 19 February

Minimum years experience requested:

0-2 years

10) Biodiversity Conservation Assistant – International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) (Brussels): 28 February

11) Research Analyst II (Nature Based Strategies) – World Resources Institute (WRI)(Washington, DC): Until filled

12) Hindi speakers: Project Associate (Climate Resilience Practice) – World Resources Institute (WRI) (India): Until filled

13) Save Our Streams (SOS) Coordinator – Izaak Walton League of America(Gaithersburg, MD, USA): 26 February

14) Associate Analyst – ecoPartners (Berkeley, CA, USA): 15 March

15) Water Quality Project Coordinator – Trout Unlimited (Klamath Falls, OR, USA): Until filled

16) Stakeholder Engagement Analyst – Future 500 (San Francisco): 6 March

17) Analyst: Market Research – Bluefield Research (Boston, MA, USA): Until filled

18) Sustainability Analyst – Salesforce (San Francisco): Until filled – 2-5 years required

19) Lake Champlain Sea Grant Program Assistant – University of Vermont(Burlington, VT, USA): Until filled

20) Associate Staff Attorney – Riverkeeper (Ossining, NY, USA): Until filled

21) Part-Time Program Coordinator – American Water Resources Association (AWRA) (Middleburg, VA, USA): 15 March

3-4 years
 
22) Project Officer (Indonesia) – Alliance for Water Stewardship Asia-Pacific(Indonesia): 28 February
 
23) Land and Water Resource Management Specialist – Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) (Somalia): 28 February
 
24) Science and Conservation Officer – Nature Seychelles (Seychelles): 20 February
 
25) Spanish speakers: Un(a) profesional en Ciencias Sociales y/o Naturales – United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) (Costa Rica): 21 February
 
26) Hydrologic Coordinator – Edwards Aquifer Authority (San Antonio, TX, USA): 28 February
 
27) (Senior) Catastrophe Analyst, Exposure Management (Research and Development) – Liberty Mutual Insurance (Boston, MA, USA): Until filled
 
28) Arabic speakers: Project Field Assistant – International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) (Jordan): 28 February
 
29) Policy Advisor (Global Development) – Rare (Arlington, VA, USA): Until filled
 
30) Local recruitment: Civil Engineer Officer (Water Management) – United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) (Dhaka): 28 February

 

5-7 years
 
31) Economist (Water Global Practice) – The World Bank (Washington, DC): 27 February
 
32) Engagement Manager – Global Commission on Adaptation (Washington, DC): Until filled
 
33) Mbe-Komo Basin Program Manager (Gabon) – The Nature Conservancy (TNC)(Gabon): 15 March
 
34) Freshwater Fisheries Manager – The Nature Conservancy (TNC) (Gabon): 15 March
 
35) Advisor (Watershed Management) – Concern Worldwide (Afghanistan): 6 March
 
36) Senior Advisor (Water) – Mercy Corps (Washington, London or The Hague): Until filled
 
37) Chinese speakers: Project Manager (China) – Alliance for Water Stewardship Asia-Pacific (Shanghai): 12 March
 
38) Fishery Officer (Aquaculture) – United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) (Rome): 28 February
 
39) Environmental Engineer – The World Bank (Washington, DC): 6 March
 
40) Environmental and Social Safeguard Specialist – United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) (South Sudan): 24 February
 
41) Canada nationals: Executive Director (Natural Resources) – British Columbia Public Service (Victoria, BC, Canada): 26 February
 
42) Regional Drought Information Systems Coordinator – CIRES/National Integrated Drought Information System (NIDIS) (Boulder, CO, USA): 31 March
 
43) Water Resources Scientist – VHB (South Burlington, VT, USA): Until filled
 
44) Executive Director – Acton Wakefield Watersheds Alliance (Union, NH, USA): Until filled – Any 10 years combination of education and experience
 
45) Attorney (Nature Program) – Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC)(Chicago, IL, USA): Until filled
 
46) Forest Practice Specialist (Water Quality Program) – Washington State Department of Ecology (Lacey, WA, USA): Until filled – Less years required w/more education
 
47) Manager: Environmental Sustainability Programs and Initiatives – AEG Worldwide (Los Angeles, CA, USA): Until filled
 
48) Manager (Deforestation) – Ceres (Boston, MA, USA): Until filled

8-9 years
 
49) Country Dialogue Specialist (Africa) – Green Climate Fund (South Korea): 4 March

10+ years   50) Senior Climate Change Specialist (Resilience) – The World Bank (Washington, DC): 27 February   51) Team Lead: Midterm Evaluation of the Gomal Zam Dam Command Area Development Project – Management Systems International (MSI) (Pakistan): Until filled   52) French speakers: Territorial Coordinator for Wallis and Futuna – Pacific Community (SPC) (Wallis and Futuna): 10 March   53) Communications Coordinator – CIRES/National Integrated Drought Information System (NIDIS) (Boulder, CO): 31 March   54) Senior Water Resources Project Manager – Dewberry (Sacramento, CA, USA): Until filled   55) Director: U.S. Climate Policy & Analysis – Environmental Defense Fund (EDF)(Washington, DC): Until filled   56) Climate Change and Environment Management Systems Experts – NUMARK Associates (Washington, DC): Until filled   57) Local recruitment: Subject Matter Expert (Project Management) – Management Systems International (MSI) (Pakistan): Until filled

Not specified:
 
58) Research Assistant (part-time): Center for Earth Observation and Citizen Science – International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA) (Vienna): 25 February
 
59) Climate Change Programme Developer – Ethical Tea Partnership (Home-Based): 26 February
 
60) German speakers: Projektmanager (m/w/d) für europäische und internationale Nachhaltigkeitspolitik beim Rat für Nachhaltige Entwicklung – Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) (Berlin): 25 February
 
61) German speakers: Berater (m/w/d) für "Wassersicherheit und Klimaanpassung im ländlichen Indien" (WASCA) – Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) (New Delhi): 3 March
 
62) Telugu speakers: Research Associate – SaciWATERs (India): 28 February
 
63) Australia nationals: Senior Scientist – Queensland Government (Australia): 1 March
 
64) Australia nationals: Natural Environment Program Project Officer – Victoria State Government (Australia): 25 February
 
65) Analyst (Climate Analytics and NDCs) – European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) (London): 26 February
 
66) Project Delivery Officer – Tees River Trust (United Kingdom): 21 February
 
67) Chief Executive Officer – The Rivers Trust (United Kingdom): 4 March
 
68) UK nationals: Environment Planning Officer – Environment Agency (United Kingdom): 24 February
 
69) Colne Valley Rivers and Wetlands Officer – Herts and Middlesex Wildlife Trust(United Kingdom): 5 March
 
70) Senior Flood Risk Consultant / Engineer – AECOM (United Kingdom): Until filled
 
71) Director of Hydrology – RPS Group (United Kingdom): Until filled
 
72) Canada nationals: Hydrogeologist – Ontario Government (Hamilton and North York, ON, Canada): 27 February
 
73) Stream Restoration Technician – Trout Unlimited (Lock Haven, PA, USA): Until filled
 
74) Science Writer/Editor (Maryland Sea Grant) – University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science (UMCES) (College Park, MD, USA): Until filled
 
75) Water Commissioner – Colorado Department of Natural Resources (Saguache County, CO, USA): 26 February

Not specified (academic):

• Professors/lecturers

76) Two Visiting Assistant Professors (Civil and Environmental Engineering) – Bucknell University (Lewisburg, PA, USA): Until filled
 
77) Huxley College on the Peninsulas (Non-Tenure Track Faculty Vacancy Pool - Environmental Policy) – Western Washington University (Washington, USA): Until filled – This one requires 10+ years experience

• Postdocs

78) Post-Doctoral Fellow: Atmospheric Water Extraction – International Centre for Biosaline Agriculture (United Arab Emirates): 28 February
 
79) Sustainability and Development Postdoctoral Fellow – University of Michigan(Ann Arbor, MI, USA): 21 March
 
80) U.S. citizens: Postdoctoral Research Associate (Water Resources Engineer) – Oak Ridge National Laboratory (Oak Ridge, TN, USA): Until filled
 
81) Postdoctoral Scholar – East Carolina University (Greenville, NC, USA): Until filled
 
82) U.S. citizens: Computational and Hydro-ecological Modeling Postdoc – Los Alamos National Laboratory (Los Alamos, NM, USA): Until filled
 
83) Postdoctoral Scholar – Lycoming College (Williamsport, PA, USA): 8 March

• Researchers/other

84) Leslie and Sarah Miller Director of the Miller Worley Center for the Environment – Mount Holyoke College (South Hadley, MA, USA): 1 March

WASH:

0-2 years

85) WASH Officer: Water (Benue and Ogoja in Cross River) – Save the Children(Nigeria): 22 February
 
86) Project Officer WASH – Bahar Organization (Turkey): 25 February
 
87) French speakers: WASH and Infrastructure Project Manager – Medair (DRC): Until filled
 
88) French speakers: Emergency Response WASH Coordinator – Medair (DRC): Until filled

3-4 years
 
89) Project Officer – WaterAid (India): 21 February
 
90) Nigeria nationals: WASH Technical Assistant – Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) (Nigeria): 25 February
 
91) Roving WASH Technical Team Leader – Oxfam (Iraq): 25 February

5-7 years

92) Project Manager (Shelter and WASH) – International Organization for Migration (IOM) (Turkey): 28 February
 
93) Technical Lead for Municipal Solid Waste Management System Development – Catholic Relief Services (CRS) (Sierra Leone): 12 March
 
94) Nigeria nationals: WASH Project Coordinator – Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) (Nigeria): 25 February
 
95) Portuguese speakers: WASH Evaluation Specialist – Social Impact(Mozambique): Until filled
 
96) Philippines nationals: Water and Habitat Engineer – International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) (Philippines): 6 March

10+ years

97) Senior Director of Strategic Partnerships – Water4 (Oklahoma City, OK, USA): Until filled
 
98) Indonesia nationals: Country Director – water.org (Jakarta): Until filled
 
99) Local recruitment: Subject Matter Expert (WASH) – Management Systems International (MSI) (Pakistan): Until filled
 
Not specified
 
100) Local recruitment: Technical Manager WASH – Sightsavers (Nigeria): 22 February
 
101) Somalia nationals: WASH Assistant – Save the Children (Somalia): 24 Febru

Consultancies:

102) Rural and Urban Water Supply & Sanitation Experts – Sheladia Associates(Various): 30 June
 
103) Water Sector Specialist – United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)(Cyprus): 3 March
 
104) Industrial and Municipal Sewage Pollution Abatement Expert (IRH) – United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) (Home-Based): 22 February
 
105) Consultancy: WASH Knowledge Management – United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) (Home-Based): 21 February
 
106) WASH NTD Landscape Analysis – Sightsavers (Zambia): 28 February
 
107) Spanish speakers: Consultoría para determinar las Circunstancias Nacionales atinentes al cambio climático en Costa Rica – United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) (Costa Rica): 20 February
 
108) Spanish speakers: Evaluación para determinar obstáculos, limitaciones y apoyo financiero recibido y requerido en la implementación de acciones de mitigación y adaptación al Cambio Climático – United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
(Costa Rica): 20 February
 
109) Spanish speakers: Consultoria Individual: Green Climate Fund Project Proposal Developer – United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) (Home-Based): 21 February
 
110) Provision of Consultancy Services for Undertaking the Baseline Survey for the Programme – United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) (Zambia): 26 February
 
111) Senior Water Resources Engineer/Team Leader – Asian Development Bank (ADB) (Sri Lanka): 21 February
 
112) Thai speakers: Consultant/Research Assistant – Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) (Bangkok): 24 February
 
113) Final Evaluation of the Project: Community Based Inclusive Preparedness on Water Induced and Climate Change Risks – Caritas France - Secours Catholique(India): 27 February
 
114) French speakers: International Consultancy: WASH in Schools – United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) (Senegal): 28 February
 
115) International Consultant (Climate Change Knowledge Products) – United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) (Cambodia): 20 February
 
116) Hindi speakers: State Consultant: Water – International Development Agency(India): 22 February
 
117) Hindi speakers: State Consultant: WASH in Institutions – International Development Agency (India): 22 February

Internships:

118) weADAPT Intern – Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) (United Kingdom): 1 June
 
119) Freshwater Intern – The Nature Conservancy (TNC) (Minneapolis, MN, USA): 15 March
 
120) Conservation Practitioner I: Summer Wetlands Intern – The Nature Conservancy (TNC) (Ellinwood, KS, USA): 13 March
 
121) Intern: Communications and Environment Affairs – United Nations Environment Programme (UN Environment) (Paris): 27 February
 
122) Freshwater and Protein Intern – World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF)(Washington, DC): Until filled
           
123) German speakers: Praktikant (m/w/d) im Globalvorhaben Risikobewertung und -management zur Anpassung an den Klimawandel (Loss & Damage) – Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) (Germany): 26 February
 
124) French speakers: Praktikant (m/w/d) Anpassung landwirtschaftlicher Wertschöpfungsketten an den Klimawandel – Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) (Madagascar): 26 February – Does not say that German is required even thought the post is in German
 
125) Natural Capital for Oceans Intern – Conservation International (CI) (Arlington, VA, USA): Until filled
 
126) Inland Fisheries Intern – Conservation International (CI) (Arlington, VA, USA): Until filled
 
127) Green Infrastructure Intern – Conservation International (CI) (Arlington, VA, USA): Until filled
 
128) Campaigns Intern – World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) (London): 24 February
 
129) Environmental Policy Intern – Clean Water Action (Austin, TX, USA): Until filled

 

Scholarships:

130) Solicitar Becas de Posgrado Con La OEA – Organización de Estados Americanos (OEA)

 

Other:

131) Conservation Research Assistant (Volunteer) – SEED Madagascar(Madagascar): Until filled
 
132) U.S. citizens: Lake Champlain Maritime Museum Educator – AmeriCorps(Vergennes, VT, USA): 30 April – The town where my grandfather grew up, actually
 
Last week’s list, in case you missed it   Post a job

 

2) Additional Positions from WaterWired

Posted: Last Week

133) Positions: @IIDatWork (Imperial Valley, CA) - Various: Engineer; Engineer Assistant; GIS Technician; Various closing dates https://bit.ly/2B2nahH  #JobWaWi

134) Position: @IIDatWork (La Quinta, CA) - Manager of Distribution Services & Maintenance Operations. Closes: 28 February 2019. https://bit.ly/2QYuDED  #JobWaWi

135) Position: @IIDatWork El Centro, CA) - Superintendent, System Planning. Closes: 28 February 2019 https://bit.ly/2Csay4d  #JobWaWi

136) Position: @ChesResearch (Edgewater, MD) - Executive Director. OUF; App review: 31 March https://bit.ly/2FXQIRP  #JobWaWi (tnx @fowler_lara)

137) Postdoc Position: @OSUCEOAS (Corvallis) - Physical Oceanography. Full consideration: 18 February.https://bit.ly/2HzPTks  #JobWaWi

138) Postdoc Position: @OSUCEOAS - Cooperative Institute for Marine Resources (Corvallis) - OUF; Full consideration: 18 February. https://bit.ly/2ReEyWD  #JobWaWi

139) Position: @fgcu (Fort Myers, FL) - Associate/Full Professor - Waterborne Illnesses & Biotoxins. Closes: 22 February https://bit.ly/2UkYjhi  #JobWaWi

140) Position: @fgcu (Fort Myers, FL) - Associate/Full Professor - Climate Resilience/Coastal Adaptation. Closes: 22 February https://bit.ly/2TeGAYx 

141) Position: @sunyesf (Syracuse, NY) - Asst/Assoc Professor, Forest Ecosystem Management. OUF https://bit.ly/2MKCXqX  #JobWaWi

143) Position: @sunyesf (Syracuse, NY) - T-T Asst Professor, Department of Environmental Resources Engineering. OUF; First consideration: 22 February https://bit.ly/2MGEiPq  #JobWaWi

144) Position: @RCO_Director (Olympia, WA) - Executive Coordinator (WMS2) @GovInslee's Salmon Recovery Office. Closes: 28 February. https://bit.ly/2sZBO5N  #JobWaWi

145) Position: @pheasants4ever (Hines, OR) - Sage Grouse Local Implementation Team (LIT) Coordinator. Closes: 26 Feb. https://bit.ly/2SyfVJh  #JobWaWi

146) Positions (5): @pheasants4ever (OR, IA, NE, KY, MO) - Various: Wildlife Biologist (2); Outreach Coordinator; Wildlfife Mgmt Specialist; Sage Grouse Local Implementation Team Coordinator. Closings vary. Click on 'Current Openings' (left side) @ https://bit.ly/2DWdFTU  #JobWaWi

147) Position: Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (Pendleton, OR) - Fisheries Habitat Biologist II. OUF; First screening: 1 March 2019. Download Fisheries_Habitat_Biologist_II

148) Position: @USUAggies (Logan, UT) - Director, Utah Water Research Laboratory. https://bit.ly/2GzEI9A  #JobWaWi

149) Position: JMT Johnson, Mirmiran & Thompson (Richmond, VA) - Water Resources Section Head. https://bit.ly/2DlwcHQ  #JobWaWi

150) Position: @OregonState (Bend, OR) - Regional Director, Outreach & Engagement. Closes: 3 March https://bit.ly/2WPZcjU  #JobWaWi

151) Positions (many): @IIDatWork (El Centro, CA & vicinity) - 1) Integrated Resources Planner; 2) Supervisor - Standards; 3) Internal Auditor; 4) Real-Time Trader; 5) Superintendent System Planning; 6) Managers; Others. Closing: Various https://bit.ly/2GBq8y5  #JobWaWi

152) Internship Position: @portlandwater (Portland, OR) - Water Resources Education Intern (Community Service Aide II. $15/hour. Closes: 28 February ) https://bit.ly/2TEOf2F  #JobWaWi

153) Postdoctoral Position: @OKH2O (Norman, OK) - Groundwater Modeler - Job Number: 190284. OUF. https://bit.ly/2TLifty  #JobWaWi

154) Position: South Fork John Day Watershed Council (John Day, OR) - Program Assistant. Closes: 29 March Download Program_Asst_SFJDWC

155) Internship Positions (3): North Coast Land Conservancy (Seaside, OR) - Stewardship Maintenance; Monitoring; Outreach. Closes: 10 March https://bit.ly/2tl1NoD  #JobWaWi

156) Position: NM Environment Department (Santa Fe, NM) - Environmental Scientist and Specialist-Operational (NMENV #34940). Closes: 6 March https://bit.ly/2mxs6nU  #JobWaWi

157) Position: NM Environment Department (Santa Fe, NM) - Environmental Scientist and Specialist-Advanced (NMENV #24974). Closes: 23 February https://bit.ly/2zQYwAR  #JobWaWi

158) Position: City of LaGrange (GA) - Water Division Superintendent. Closes: 25 February https://sforce.co/2DHqBvK  #JobWaWi

159) Position: Central Valley Water Reclamation Facility (SLC, UT) - Assistant General Manager. Closes: 13 March https://sforce.co/2N5BxaE  #JobWaWi

160) Position: California Water Environment Association (Oakland, CA) - Executive Director. Closes: 4 April. https://sforce.co/2tnqfWr  #JobWaWi

161) Position: @DesLandTrust (Bend, OR) - Stewardship Associate. OUF; App review begins 25 February. https://bit.ly/2N68kMH  #JobWaWi

162) Conservation positions: @Y2Y_Initiative - 1) 2-year postdoc in recreation ecology w/ @UNBC @psuedotsug; 2) Content coordinator (communications); 3) Grants coordinator; More! https://bit.ly/24Durxe  #JobWaWi (tnx @Aerin_J)

163) Postdoctoral and Post-Masters Positions: Wisconsin Sea Grant (Madison) - J. Philip Keillor Wisconsin Coastal Management-Sea Grant Fellow. Closes: 28 March Download Wisconsin_Keillor_Fellowship_Announcement_2019

164) Position: Turlock Irrigation District (Turlock, CA) - Water Operations Manager. Closes: 1 March Download TID_WOM

165) Position: Trout Unlimited (Klamath Falls, OR) - Water Quality Project Coordinator - Oregon. OUF.
Download TU_Water_Quality_Proj_Coordinator_Klamath

166) Position: @ColumbiaEstuary (Portland, OR) - Principal Restoration Ecologist. Closes: 15 March https://bit.ly/2U04aJ2  #JobWaWi

3) Some General Employment Resources

AGU Career Center for research/academic jobs

GoodWorkCanada - Canada's Green Jobs Site

Congressional Research Service Positions 

Check out @AidJobs - Vacancies in aid, development, humanitarian & nonprofit sector (volunteers, consultants or F-T employment) https://aidjobs.org

UN Jobs in Water Resources

UN Jobs in Water Management

UN Jobs in Water and Sanitation

Global Water Jobs

WASH Vacancies

Academic Jobs Online

Higher Education Job Site

Get Hydrology Jobs

AAG Jobs

@BCWaterNews Jobs Click 'View Jobs' at https://bcwaterjobs.com 

@EcologyWA - Current Openings - Updated every few days. Click here. 

King County (WA) Jobs

Geoscience Job Board

California DWR Jobs

AZ Water Career Center 

Florida Water Jobs

NYC DEP 

Nature Conservancy jobs

State of Washington Careers

Idaho DEQ 

OSU Water Resources Program

Water District Jobs

Academic Jobs in Schools of Physical/Earth Sciences

Mac's List - Jobs in Portland and Beyond!

New Zealand Hydrological Society Jobs Board

California Water Jobs 

Government Jobs

Association of Oregon Counties Job Postings

Soil Science Societies Career Center

How to Find Work Overseas, with Marcelle Yeager. https://bit.ly/1pIopLT  

For the full list of Josh's active water jobs, please visit www.joshswaterjobs.com/jobs

“A conservationist is someone who built his mountain cabin last year; a developer is someone who wants to build his mountain cabin this year.” – - old Colorado saying (?)

Elaine J. Hanford's Bulletin Boards: 1) Geoscience; 2) Environmental Science; 3) Coastal Zone Management - 18 February 2019

Still time to register for Science Talk '19 conference in Portland, OR, 4-5 April 2019. I will see you there!

Do you know of a colleague and/or student who would be interested in receiving  these Bulletin Board   listings? Please forward this to them. A quick email to Geosciences-BBoard@att.net with the word “subscribe” in the subject line and the email address will  be added to the  weekly distribution. 

Here are Elaine's BBs as Word/PDF documents:     

As PDF: Download Bulletin_Boards_18Feb2019

As Word: Download Bulletin_Boards_18Feb2019

The weekly water news is here.

Geoscience Bulletin Board – 18 February 2019 – compiled by Elaine J. Hanford

Old-school survey maps translated into three dimensions

• https://www.engadget.com/2019/02/10/the-big-picture-3d-us-geological-survey-maps/
• Website: https://www.scottreinhardmaps.com/shop/yellowstone-national-park

Surge of Shisper glacier creates lake in Hunza – erroneously called “artificial lake”

• https://www.dawn.com/news/1463111/glacier-surge-creates-artificial-lake-in-hunza

Reviews of Books for Kids:  “When Bugs were Big, Plants were Strange, and Tetrapods Stalked the Earth: A Carton Prehistory of Life before Dinosaurs” – and --- “Will it Blow? Become a Volcano Detective at Mount St Helens”

• https://blogs.agu.org/mountainbeltway/2019/02/11/when-bugs-were-big-bonner/
• https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/rosetta-stones/mount-saint-helens-volcano-detectives-activate/

Erosion risk fears at Valentia Island where the first transatlantic cable was linked

• https://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/ireland/--903494.html

Glacial outwash sands may become valuable resource in Greenland

• https://phys.org/news/2019-02-sand-glacial-greenland-economic-salvation.html

EQ prediction in Greece spurs conflicting opinions

• https://greece.greekreporter.com/2019/02/11/greek-seismologists-at-war-over-possibility-of-powerful-quake/

Charles Darwin was a “rock hound” during his voyages on the Beagle

• https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidbressan/2019/02/12/charles-darwin-a-rockhound-aboard-the-beagle/#5f4e325633ad

Pu’u ‘O’o crater on eastern flank of Kilauea collapsed after 3 decades of eruption

• https://www.cbc.ca/radio/asithappens/a-whole-generation-of-scientists-mourn-end-of-35-year-hawaiian-volcano-eruption-1.5014327

Volcanic island of Stromboli caused 3 tsunamis in Middle Ages – could do it again

• https://eos.org/articles/ancient-tsunami-tied-to-volcanic-flank-collapse-in-italy

Second meteor crater discovered beneath Greenland ice sheet

• https://www.sciencenews.org/article/greenland-may-have-another-massive-crater-hiding-under-its-ice
• https://gizmodo.com/it-looks-like-theres-a-second-bigger-impact-crater-und-1832541413

Soil tests being conducted near bubbling Erin Bouff mud volcanoes in Los Iros

• http://www.guardian.co.tt/news/soil-tests-resume-on-earthquakedevastated-lands-6.2.778050.858b06998f

Will artificial intelligence be better than human intelligence in solving complexity of Earth systems?

• https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-019-00556-5

Airborne geophysical survey of Papua New Guinea included gravity, gravity-gradiometry & magnetics

• https://www.oilfieldtechnology.com/exploration/14022019/searcher-completes-airborne-geophysical-survey-in-papua-new-guinea/

Top 10 EarthScope discoveries

• https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2019-02/eno-eat020519.php

An arch of gypsum in Sicily

• https://blogs.agu.org/mountainbeltway/2019/02/14/friday-fold-sicily-gypsum/

Another dire study decrying the melting of glaciers in the Hindu Kush Himalaya

• https://newhumanist.org.uk/articles/5417/the-reality-of-climate-change
• Summary: http://lib.icimod.org/record/34450/files/HKHAssessmentReportSummary.pdf
• http://lib.icimod.org/record/34383/files/icimod2019_Book_TheHinduKushHimalayaAssessment.pdf

ESA satellite data reveal interconnected plumbing system of Bali volcano

• https://phys.org/news/2019-02-satellite-images-reveal-interconnected-plumbing.html
• Paper: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-019-08564-9

Latest estimate for the global volume of glacier ice (excluding Greenland & Antarctic Ice Sheets)

• https://phys.org/news/2019-02-ice-volume-anew.html

Sand mining permits in Trincomalee suspended to allow assessment of illegal activity

• http://www.dailymirror.lk/article/Sand-mining-permits-in-Trincomalee-suspended-162369.html
• http://www.adaderana.lk/news/53241/all-sand-mining-permits-in-trincomalee-district-suspended

KYB Corporation falsified quality data on EQ shock absorbers to meet delivery deadlines

• http://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20190214/p2g/00m/0na/004000c

Mars rover was built to last 90 days – mission now ends after 15 years!

• http://news.cornell.edu/stories/2019/02/built-last-90-days-mars-rover-opportunity-ends-mission-after-15-years
• https://www.iflscience.com/space/so-long-opportunity-and-thanks-for-all-the-science/

Tis the season of mudslides, snow and flash floods as “atmospheric river” soaks California & Sierra wind gust hits 164 mph

• https://www.msn.com/en-us/weather/topstories/mudslides-snow-and-flash-floods-an-atmospheric-river-is-soaking-california/ar-BBTBe5n
• https://www.msn.com/en-us/weather/topstories/hurricane-force-164-mph-wind-gust-blasts-sierra-you-cant-stand-under-your-own-force/ar-BBTB7ss

The “witchcraft” of water dowsing

• https://arstechnica.com/science/2019/02/we-look-at-the-witchcraft-behind-why-dowsers-usually-find-water/

Environmental Science Bulletin Board – 18 February 2019 – compiled by Elaine J. Hanford

Illegally trafficked “Mexican oxy” takes American lives in Arizona & the US Southwest

• http://www.dcourier.com/news/2019/feb/13/fentanyl-deaths-mexican-oxy-pills-hit-arizona-hard/

Black leopard spotted in Kenya, Africa, for first time in a century

• https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/black-leopard-spotted-in-africa-for-first-time-in-100-years/ar-BBTtTQL
• Paper: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/aje.12586?referrer_access_token=Bj6Lzxck4O6CY5jIL4X7Q4ta6bR2k8jH0KrdpFOxC65qpYX16YCvkAEYVdy3Px9BeFoJFW-wUFczO9mJ-2KbeGcdNPuuvzwT0nJk5ZpiKHyEDObnU5xt8kcQ9GF3tsUs

OIE Annual report suggests global shift in use of antibiotics in animals

• http://www.oie.int/en/for-the-media/press-releases/detail/article/new-report-shows-global-shift-in-use-of-antibiotics-in-animals/
• Fact sheet: http://www.oie.int/fileadmin/Home/eng/Our_scientific_expertise/docs/pdf/AMR/Annual_Report_AMR_3.pdf
• Report: http://www.oie.int/fileadmin/Home/eng/Our_scientific_expertise/docs/pdf/AMR/Annual_Report_AMR_3.pdf 

Keystone may be likely source of estimated 1,800-gallon oil leak near St Louis, Missouri

• https://www.apnews.com/234e4c25ff6149108ed0b3fe20e711a5

LSU students help clean-up by creating bioswales:  “Blight to Bioswales Project”

• https://phys.org/wire-news/311318061/blight-to-bioswales-lsu-engineering-student-project-to-help-lowe.html

BART Transbay Tube to be retrofitted for seismic conditions anticipating the Big One

• https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/What-you-need-to-know-about-the-Transbay-Tube-13602815.php

Hundreds of people evacuated in Brazil – concern for possible failure of Sol Superior tailings dam

• https://www.efe.com/efe/english/world/hundreds-evacuated-amid-risk-of-new-mine-dam-collapses-in-brazil/50000262-3892286#

Plans to build $B refinery in Permian Basin near Kermit, Texas

• https://www.chron.com/business/energy/article/California-company-seeks-to-build-1-billion-13607508.php

AVMA urges passage of legislation to help ban practice of soring horses

• https://www.veterinarypracticenews.com/avma-urges-congress-to-act-on-horse-abuse/

Tiger found caged in abandoned house in Houston, Texas

• https://www.msn.com/en-us/video/news/tiger-found-inside-southeast-houston-home/vi-BBTsQop

Slave trade in the Colonies began 400 years ago in Virginia

• https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/1619-400-years-ago-a-ship-arrived-in-virginia-bearing-human-cargo/ar-BBTkM6M

Researchers model potential spread of invasive long-horned tick across North America

• https://www.k-state.edu/media/newsreleases/2019-02/raghavanticks21319.html
• Paper: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-018-37205-2

Florida requesting $200M to fast-track construction of Everglades restoration projects

• https://www.tampabay.com/florida-politics/buzz/2019/02/12/desantis-scott-and-rubio-ask-trump-for-200-million-for-everglades-projects/

Residents in 19 states potentially exposed to drug-resistant bacteria linked to raw milk

• https://pix11.com/2019/02/13/nj-ny-among-19-states-potentially-exposed-to-drug-resistant-bacteria-linked-to-raw-milk-cdc/
• CDC Alert: https://www.cdc.gov/brucellosis/exposure/drug-resistant-brucellosis-linked-raw-milk.html

Satellite data helps pinpoint widespread oil industry “flaring” in South Texas

• https://phys.org/news/2019-02-satellite-widespread-oil-industry-flaring.html
• Map: https://pubs.acs.org/doi/pdf/10.1021/acs.est.8b05355

New York State giving out free seedlings to landowners to prevent soil erosion

• https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/NY-Giving-Out-Free-Tree-Seedlings-to-Prevent-Soil-Erosion-New-York-505794711.html

US Judge critical of PG&E 10-year wildfire mitigation plan in California

• https://finance.yahoo.com/news/judge-critical-pg-es-wildfire-183021016.html

Portland General Electric plans to spend $160M on massive renewable energy project

• https://www.oregonlive.com/business/2019/02/pge-will-spend-160-million-to-help-develop-massive-renewable-energy-project-in-eastern-oregon.html

Endocrine disrupting chemicals don’t just impact humans – linked to EMS in horses

• https://thehorse.com/166842/study-endocrine-disrupting-chemicals-linked-to-ems-in-horses/

TED Talk:  how does bias shape our perceptions about science issues like climate?

• https://www.npr.org/2019/02/15/694288204/j-marshall-shepherd-how-does-bias-shape-our-perceptions-about-science

WHO forms committee to develop guidelines editing of human genes – scientific, ethical, social & legal

• https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2019/02/14/694710663/world-health-organization-forms-committee-to-guide-editing-of-human-genes

Hidden Brain Podcast:  Living vicariously poses dangers

• https://www.npr.org/2019/02/05/691697963/close-enough-the-lure-of-living-through-others

Large-scale poultry farms now more than 2X the number of industrial hog farms in North Carolina – new pollution concerns

• https://www.ewg.org/release/new-investigation-recent-explosion-poultry-factory-farms-nc-piles-manure-515m-chickens-waste
• Report: https://cdn3.ewg.org/sites/default/files/u352/EWG_NC-CAFO_Report_C05.pdf

First global scientific review of insect population decline

• https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/insect-population-decline-extinction_us_5c611921e4b0f9e1b17f097d
• Paper: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0006320718313636

“Naming & shaming” may be powerful tool to reduce plastic waste

• https://www.treehugger.com/plastic/naming-and-shaming-powerful-tool-fight-against-plastic-waste.html

Eliminating non-medical and medical exemptions for vaccinations poses risks to population

• https://arstechnica.com/science/2019/02/anti-vaxxers-undermine-tougher-vaccination-laws-as-measles-outbreaks-roar/

What will climate be like in 60 years?  Remember – it is only a model (garbage in-garbage out)

• https://arstechnica.com/science/2019/02/want-a-better-idea-of-your-future-climate-try-this-map/
• Interactive map: https://fitzlab.shinyapps.io/cityapp/

Coastal Zone Management Bulletin Board – 18 February 2019 – compiled by Elaine J. Hanford

Will filling in old oil field canals help reverse coastal land loss?

• http://www.fox8live.com/2019/02/12/lsu-researcher-believes-simply-filling-oil-field-canalsreverses-some-coastal-land-loss/

Alaskans support opening the ANWR coastal plain as Draft EIR is publicly discussed

• https://www.adn.com/opinions/2019/02/12/alaskans-support-opening-the-anwr-coastal-plain/

Decision made to forgo plan to rebuild three coastal natural gas plants in California

• https://abc7.com/technology/garcetti-to-scrap-plans-to-rebuild-3-coastal-natural-gasplants/5134409/

Study assesses wetland distribution & resilience in US estuaries

• https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/02/190213124417.htm

Public comment period on Coastal Texas Study now closed – comments to be reviewed

• https://communityimpact.com/houston/clear-lake-league-city-nassau-bay/developmentconstruction/2019/02/12/public-comments-on-coastal-texas-study-to-be-reviewedimplemented/

Santa Barbara County Superior Court Judge refused approval of agreement that would allow very limited access to Hollister Ranch beaches

• https://lompocrecord.com/news/local/state-and-regional/judge-won-t-approve-hollister-ranchcoastal-access-deal/article_b85fc376-d7fb-50b2-b9ea-39d1bd414803.html

98% of Isle de Jean Charles, Louisiana, has disappeared – gov’t paying to move families northward

• https://www.knoe.com/content/news/98-of-this-Louisiana-coastal-community-hasdisappeared-505733391.html

Louisiana CPRA has built or renewed 600 acres of marsh in Cameron Parish – cost: $31M

• https://www.kalb.com/content/news/Coastal-agency-Hundreds-of-acres-of-marsh-builtrestored-505673091.html

Strong storm sent heavy waves and surges onto islands in Hawaii

• http://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/2019/02/11/coastal-flooding-expected-haleiwa-large-surfflings-water-onto-road/

• http://time.com/5526508/hawaii-coastal-flooding-winter-storm-2019/

West Coast Tormin mine inspected in advance of planned expansion

• https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2019-02-12-mantashe-inspects-west-coast-mineahead-of-its-expansion-plans/

Coastal Barrier Resource Act amended to create more accurate digital maps

• https://www.coastalreview.org/2019/01/law-tweaks-coastal-barrier-resource-act/

Looking at the details of massive Samoa Fish Farm proposal for Humboldt Bay

• https://lostcoastoutpost.com/2019/feb/11/humboldt-baykeeper-says-samoa-fish-farmproposal-l/

• https://www.times-standard.com/2019/02/09/humboldt-bay-harbor-district-eyes-fish-farm/

Contemplating “last chance” to embark on ecosystem restoration effort along Gulf Coast

• https://thehill.com/opinion/energy-environment/429492-our-last-chance-to-save-the-gulf

12 North Carolina towns win Beach Access Grants

• https://www.coastalreview.org/2019/01/12-coastal-towns-win-beach-access-grants/

Sustainable urban adaptation in Arab coastal cities

• https://www.mei.edu/publications/climate-change-sea-level-rise-and-sustainable-urbanadaptation-arab-coastal-cities

3 wave energy developers to test devices in Hawaii

• https://www.enr.com/articles/46370-three-wave-energy-developers-ready-to-test-devices-inhawaii

Complex relationship between the environment & mercury pollution in coastal waters

• https://phys.org/news/2019-02-complex-picture-mercury-pollution-period.html

“Go-ahead” given to extended dredge disposal operation off Great Barrier Island

• http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO1902/S00102/epa-gives-go-ahead-to-extended-disposaloperation.htm

CAA passed Friday to provide $1.2B for coastal port & multi-modal grants

• https://www.maritime-executive.com/article/port-related-funding-boost-in-fy19-minibusagreement

Red Tide in Florida finally appears to be ebbing

• https://www.npr.org/2019/02/14/694479180/after-16-months-of-dead-fish-manatees-anddolphins-floridas-red-tide-ebbs

"When the president said we would "triple our research productivity ," that didn't mean you were getting a teaching release -- it meant she wants us to go get more external grants. Sorry for your confusion." - @ass_deans

New Mexico Groundwater: Moving Right Ahead with The Water Data Act

On 16 November 2017 I posted about a nifty program in New Mexico: the Collaborative Groundwater Monitoring Network (CGMN) of the New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources (NMBGMR) Aquifer Mapping Program (AMP). He post included the glowing comments of one stakeholder.

I now have some information about a another groundwater program of the Bureau.  Hydrogeologist Stacy Timmons (OSU Geology MS, 2002), the AMP manager, told me of some 'cool legislation' - the Water Data Act - they are working on.

This bill was modeled similar to Californa's Open and Transparent Water Data Act of 2016, but catered to New Mexico. Some of the major points of this legislation are that it:

• Seeks to coordinate and integrate all relevant water data for the state.
• Establishes a multi-agency council to develop common water data standards and improve data openness, accessibility, and interoperability--co-chaired by the Bureau of Geology (as the state agency charged with maintaining data) and ISC (the primary body charged with state water planning). 
• All major resource management agencies and academic institutions would participate in the Council, along with an advisory group of stakeholders that could include federal, tribal, irrigation district and acequias, NGOs etc. 
• Establishes a fund to accept state and outside monies to support improvements to water data statewide.  

Here is a PDF of the bill:

Download NM_HB0651+2019

Stacy concluded her email:

I believe it would make New Mexico the 2nd state in the country to move water data into the wide open, and require it to be interoperable! As a desert state facing warmer times, we could actually be proactive on water issues!

She promised to send me more information - fact sheets and the like - if I wanted them. I will post them when I receive them.

This is really something - a model for other states. Once again, New Mexico fools everyone with its foresight when it comes to groundwater.

Enjoy!

"Until I came to New Mexico, I never realized how much beauty water adds to a river." - Mark Twain

CRS Report: 'U.S. Department of the Interior - An Overview'

When I think of water and Federal agencies, one of the latter immediately comes to mind: the Department of the Interior. If I lived east of the 100th meridian it  would likely be the U.S. Army Corps if Engineers. But in the West, DOI is The Big One. Nothing else even comes close. Why? Think USGS, Fish and Wildlife Service, BLM, National Park Service, BIA and the most visible, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation or simply Reclamation (which works exclusively in the West). DOI has other bureaus as well, but the aforementioned are the ones best known to me. 

So what do the DOI bureaus do? Read Mark K. DeSantis' CRS report (31 January 2019): U.S. Department of the Interior: An Overview

Download CRS_Dept_Interior_Overview_31January2019

Summary
The U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) is a federal executive department responsible for the conservation and administration of the public lands and mineral estate of the United States. DOI describes its mission as protecting and managing the nation’s natural resources and cultural heritage for the benefit of the American people; providing scientific and scholarly information about those resources and natural hazards; and exercising the nation’s trust responsibilities and special commitments to American Indians, Alaska Natives, and island territories under U.S. administration.

As part of its responsibilities, DOI oversees and fosters the use of more than 480 million acres of public lands, 700 million acres of subsurface minerals, and 1.7 billion acres of the outer continental shelf. Each year, Congress deliberates legislation that could affect DOI’s management of this vast federal estate. As a result, understanding the roles and responsibilities of DOI’s various components and offices is valuable when crafting legislation that affects the department’s operations and ability to fulfill its mission.

DOI primarily implements its responsibilities and mission through nine technical bureaus that make up more than 80% of the agency’s workforce. These technical bureaus are the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation), Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE), National Park Service (NPS), Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSMRE), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), and U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). Each of these bureaus has a unique mission and set of responsibilities, as well as a distinct organizational structure that serves to meet its functional duties. In addition to these technical bureaus, DOI has multiple departmental offices, which provide leadership, coordination, and services to DOI’s various bureaus and programs.

As of June 2018, DOI employed a staff of 69,563 nationwide across its bureaus and offices. However, total DOI employment figures fluctuate throughout the year, as some bureaus rely on seasonal and part-time staff, increasing staff totals during the summer months. The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) reports the average total DOI employment as 65,350 for the four reporting periods from September 2017 to June 2018. The largest bureau within DOI based on number of staff is NPS, which averaged close to 20,000 staff over the same time period— more than twice the size of the second-largest bureau, BLM. The smallest technical bureau by employment is OSMRE, which averaged just over 400 employees. Approximately 10% of all DOI staff are within the District of Columbia core-based statistical area (CBSA), which includes the District of Columbia and selected counties in Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia.

Congress provides discretionary appropriations for DOI through two annual appropriations bills: the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies bill and the Energy and Water appropriations bill. Enacted discretionary appropriations for FY2018 totaled $14.6 billion. DOI also received $566 million in supplemental emergency appropriations in FY2018, for a total of $15.2 billion in discretionary appropriations for FY2018.

The organizational structure of DOI is subject to continual congressional oversight and executive branch examination. In 2017 and 2018, President Trump and then-Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke submitted reorganization plans for the department and its bureaus. These plans put forth several recommendations, including the consolidation and transfer of most functions of the Army Corps of Engineers Civil Works Division to DOI, the merger of the Department of Commerce’s National Marine Fisheries Service with FWS, and the creation of 12 “Unified Regional Boundaries” across DOI’s various bureaus.

Enjoy!

Download HB0651

"Giving money and power to politicians is like giving whiskey and car keys to teenaged boys." -- @PJORourke