I 



The Subcommittee and Council recommended the following: 



• The statute should be extended for another 10 years. 



• Annual reporting to the EQC should be continued, with another final study report process 

 (like this one) to occur in 2008. 



• The cap on the number of streams that the DNRC can allow leases from should be increased 

 from 20 to 40 to encourage more leases and ensure program credibility over the extension 

 period. 



• The DFWP should have authority to negotiate up to 30-year terms on leases associated with 

 Investments in water conservation projects, since the financial life of many of those 

 publicly-funded projects is 30 years. 



• Salvage water should be available for lease via the private-party (i.e. HB 472) and Clark Fork 

 leasing programs, not just via the DFWP leasing program. 



The legislative proposal (Appendix E) incorporates the above recommendations. The reader should note 

 that to extend the statute, the bill draft must revise the "Session Laws" (the actual laws passed), in 

 addition to related statutory text, hence the reference to "Laws of 1989" and "Laws of 1991 " in Appendix 

 E. 



EQC/DFWP 1998 Water Leasing Report 



QD 



