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Subcommittee votes to extend state water study after DES says no consensus; quarterly reports promised
Summary
The Agriculture, Natural Resources and Environmental Affairs subcommittee voted to extend the Surface Water Study Committee’s deadline after Department of Environmental Services staff told lawmakers the governor-appointed WaterSC had not reached consensus and had no final report due Jan. 31. The extension passed 3-1.
The Agriculture, Natural Resources and Environmental Affairs subcommittee approved a one-year extension for the Surface Water Study Committee’s reporting deadline after Department of Environmental Services staff said the governor-appointed group had not reached consensus on recommendations.
Representative Hixson told the panel the study group’s timeline needed to move to March 2026: “So we're gonna need to extend it to March 2026 is when we come back, and they would present this our house and senate committee, their plan.”
Rob Devlin, assistant bureau chief in the Bureau of Water at the Department of Environmental Services, told the subcommittee that WaterSC — the large governor-appointed study group — had met monthly and that “to date, no real consensus has occurred on whether or not we should make changes, look at different activities, or things like that, so we're still working through a lot of information.” He said WaterSC had held four meetings so far and that the group planned to provide quarterly updates to the legislative study committee; Devlin also said no additional funding was required because state water-planning activity funding already existed.
Members pressed DES on why a January 31 report had not been delivered and whether the committee could provide interim materials. Devlin said DES had prepared an initial draft but WaterSC had not produced consensus recommendations to transmit; he confirmed meeting minutes and materials were posted on the WaterSC website and that quarterly reports would follow. Representative Cromer asked whether an extension of a year would be sufficient; DES responded that the subject is complicated and requires coordination among conservation groups, industry, power, commerce and water-supply interests.
Formal action: the subcommittee voted to extend the study deadline (motion to extend the report deadline by one year to March 2026). Roll call recorded: Representative Kremer — aye; Representative Harris — no; Representative Morgan — aye; Representative Burns — aye; Representative May — not present. The clerk announced the tally as 3 to 1 with one not present.
Why it matters: The WaterSC work will feed a statewide water plan that expands the study scope to include groundwater as well as surface water, and the report could inform future legislative changes to permitting or water-use law. Committee members said they expect to receive quarterly drafts and a final report in the extended timeline so that the House and Senate study committee can review recommendations and propose statutory changes if needed.
Ending: The subcommittee approved the extension and asked DES and WaterSC to provide interim drafts and meeting minutes while the group continues deliberations.
