Western American Governors Confront Water Scarcity

Wyoming Star-Tribune, By CHRIS MERRILLStar-Tribune environment reporter
"Governors Hear Water Warning"

In a discussion following presentations on the report, Idaho Gov. C.L. “Butch” Otter said the challenges of the West’s scarce water supply have been ignored for “far too long.”The region needs, among other things, a better understanding of the total water inventory available, and scientists need to get a better handle on the relationship between streams, runoff and groundwater, Otter said.“We’ve got to know what we have in order to know if we can sustain that growth,” Otter said.Nebraska Gov. Dave Heineman said water is “the issue of the decade” in his state, as it, like other states, has faced “historic drought.”Otter agreed with the panelists that the “lowest-hanging fruit” in the water shortage crisis is conservation, but also called for an expanded infrastructure for water development, including increasing the heights of dams wherever possible.