Water folk: I’ve got a chance to interview Mike Connor, head of the Bureau of Reclamation, on Friday. Suggested questions?
jfleck at inkstain
A few thoughts from John Fleck, a writer of journalism and other things, living in New Mexico
Water folk: I’ve got a chance to interview Mike Connor, head of the Bureau of Reclamation, on Friday. Suggested questions?
Imagining a near future of growing development in Western states, how will the Bureau’s mission likely need to change as it enters into an era of water scarcity?
http://www.usbr.gov/newsroom/presskit/bios/biosdetail.cfm?recordid=1
Info on Mike Connor is at the link above
Some questions
1. For you, is this position another two year posting or a place from which you can accomplish clear milestones action? What are these milestones?
2. As the bureau’s mission changes, what are the political, legal, states’ rights, technical, and bureaucratic impediments to this change?
3. Does the bureau have the power to prevent or lessen impending water shortages?
4. Much of western water supplies have been sold multiple times, with conflicting legal claims. How might you start to resolve these conflicting claims to the benefit of the claimants and of the American public?
The controversial Westlands Water District in CA was (according to the LA Times) given $9.5 million in Federal stimulus funds in July.
Presumably the Bureau was involved in that. If so, can Mr. Connor talk about where the money went, and, more generally, what the Bureau and the Federal government want to do for Westlands in the future?