Legislature(1993 - 1994)
03/26/1993 08:00 AM House RES
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* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
MR. NIEMEYER explained that the mission of the Water
Resources Board was to ensure that there was wise water
management in the state. He noted that for the past year
the board had not been funded and members had served at
their own expense. He referred to legislation pertinent to
the Water Resources Board, including HB 111 and SB 80.
House Bill 111, he said, proposes to repeal the board. This
proposal, he believed, makes little sense because the board
operates at little expense to the state.
MR. NIEMEYER explained that SB 80 combines the Water
Resources Board with the Soil and Water Conservation Board.
In effect, he said, the bill would turn the functions of the
Water Resources Board over to the Soil and Water
Conservation Board. He cautioned that water management
issues would be compromised by the creation of a joint
board.
Number 115
MR. NIEMEYER explained the history of the board, which had
operated for over 20 years. He said the board serves as an
advocate for the state's position on water management, and
is involved in controversial water issues. Most recently,
he said the board was involved in the development of the
Kenai Groundwater Task Force, and has been an advocate for
village safe water programs.
Number 160
MR. NIEMEYER related some of the other activities of the
Water Resources Board, which include working closely
together with user groups to work out problems and creating
programs that will generate revenues. He noted the work of
the Water Division in the Department of Natural Resources
(DNR) in developing a water export program. Although the
idea has not been widely accepted, he said the DNR is
looking seriously at water export as a source of revenue
generation for the state.
Number 240
MR. NIEMEYER described some of the other principal functions
and programs performed by the Water Resources Board or for
which the board serves in an advisory capacity. Among them
were hydrologic surveys, maintenance of stream gauging
records and water studies required for construction of
bridges or roads. He said 11 hydrologists in the DNR
perform those functions and that continuity in their data-
gathering is very important, but is at risk in the face of
budget cuts. The Water Resource Board, he said, is an
active proponent of keeping the hydrologists in the
department to maintain those programs.
Number 310
REPRESENTATIVE JEANNETTE JAMES asked Mr. Niemeyer when the
Water Resources Board was authorized.
MR. NIEMEYER replied that the board was authorized in
statute by AS 46, at about the time of the Water Use Act in
the 1960's.
Number 315
REPRESENTATIVE JAMES asked how members are selected and
appointed.
Number 320
MR. NIEMEYER replied that persons interested in serving on
the board contact the governor's office, and those who are
appointed serve four-year terms. He said the board has
benefitted from continuity in its membership over the years,
except for the higher than usual turnover in the past five
years.
Number 339
REPRESENTATIVE CON BUNDE referred to the Water Resources
Board's fact sheet, dated September, 1992, produced by the
DNR's Division of Water. He asked Mr. Niemeyer to describe
the board's legislative priorities.
MR. NIEMEYER explained that the board's highest priority was
to obtain funding for the Water Division. He said the board
had worked for 20 years to have that division created, and
that with budget cuts, the programs provided by that
division are in jeopardy of being lost.
Number 366
REPRESENTATIVE BUNDE commented on the export of Alaska's
water resources, and noted that the environmental impact of
such an action would be very complex. He noted that the
cost of such big projects may not be a wise investment in
light of budget cuts that might eliminate state hydrologists
who provide important field services to the citizens of
Alaska.
Number 390
WAYNE WESTBERG, WATER RESOURCES BOARD MEMBER, explained that
the investigation of water export possibilities has not been
a major expense to the state, in that only one person is
employed on that project in the Division of Water. He said
the water export project does not impact the delivery of
other water-related services. The board initiated DNR's
water rights program, he said. Although it had been in
statutes, Mr. Westberg told the committee that it had not
been implemented until the board pushed for action. If the
DNR loses its hydrologists, he said the water rights program
would be drastically affected.
MR. WESTBERG predicted that a backlog of water rights
applications would result if the hydrologists' budget were
cut too far.
REPRESENTATIVE BUNDE commented that the hydrologists in the
field should be the highest priority.
Number 422
MR. NIEMEYER distributed a position paper prepared by the
Division of Water on water exports, dated March 17, 1993.
He also distributed an attachment, also prepared by the
Division of Water, relating to the FY 94 budget.
Number 438
CHAIRMAN WILLIAMS noted for the record that Representatives
Davies, Finkelstein and Bunde had joined the meeting since
the call to order. He referred to the next item on the
agenda, HB 213, which he explained, had been previously
heard by the Resources Committee on March 22, 1993. He
noted that the amendments suggested at that meeting had led
to a blank committee substitute draft, as well as two
additional amendments, A.8 and A.9.
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