TWCA/TWDB TEXAS WATER DAY 2012
January 31 – February 2, 2012,
The Liaison Hotel - Washington, D.C.

	2012 Texas Water Day registration form
	Texas Water Day 2012 Program

TWCA has scheduled the Eighth Annual Texas Water Day, which will take place January 31 – February 2, 2012, in Washington, D.C.  We will kick off the activities with a planning session, briefing, assignments, and get together in Metropolitan Center at 3:30 p.m., January 31, 2012, in The Liaison Capitol Hill Hotel, 415 New Jersey Ave., NW.  Another briefing will be held at breakfast which will be served starting at 7:30 a.m. on Wednesday, February 1, 2012 in the Metropolitan East/West, prior to moving to facilities at the Capitol in the Cannon House Office Building (CHOB). The Congressional Reception will be held on Wednesday, February 1, 2012 at 6:00 p.m. in Room B-338/339 of the Rayburn House Office Building.   In addition, AGC of Texas has made the AGC townhouse in Washington available to those participating to refresh and rest.

Room reservations made by calling (866) 233-4642 OR www.affinia.com and include code (TWCA12).  Room rates are $249.00 per night, with a cut-off date of Friday, January 6, 2012.

Texas Water Day is an effort to inform the Texas Delegation and other key members of Congress, and members of Committee Staff and Federal Agency Staff of the critical water issues facing the state today.  The following issues were identified through the Texas Water Conservation Association (TWCA) Federal Affairs Committee at the present time:

• Federal support (funding) for implementation of the 2012 Texas Water Plan (including consideration and re-definition of ‘earmarks’ to support projects identified in the Texas Water Plan);
• Regulatory relief (including EPA’s Clean Water Act Guidance and Rulemaking;  and, the revisions to the Principles, Requirements & Guidelines);
• Invasive and endangered species (including zebra mussels, invasive plants, freshwater mussels, and others);
• USACOE recapitalization of infrastructure assets (including future impacts on local sponsors and other in implementing the Texas Water Plan);
• Drought (a brief report on impacts of worse drought in Texas history); and,
• USGS gages (value of USGS records and need for funding of federal share of the cooperative program).

A number of these priority issues relate to federal support in the implementation of Texas water infrastructure projects as identified in the Texas or relate directly to their operations.

In addition to the federal constraints to Texas water infrastructure development, the TWCA has identified Levee certification and NFIP concerns. Texas relies on flood protection from riverine and coastal hurricane levees, but FEMA certification requirements must be flexible to account for important hydraulic differences between the two.  Additionally, coastal levee certification is being made more difficult, time-consuming, and costly.  At Texas Water Day 2012, the levee and FEMA issues, including recent discussions of a new federal Levee Safety Program will be a key focus.

New Approach for Texas Water Day 2012

Plans are underway for an active two days.  However, we will follow a different approach for Texas Water Day 2012 that we believe will keep more participants more engaged.  Key Texas Delegation Members, prominent federal agency heads, and others will speak to the TWD participants as a group at scheduled times during the day on Wednesday, February 1st.  A meeting room has been have reserved in the Cannon House Office Building for the presentations.  This approach will allow all participants to hear from key Members and federal agency staff, and reduce our overall down time.  More details will be provided when you register.

Registration

The TWCA and the Federal Affairs Committee respectfully request you complete the registration form as soon as possible so that proper arrangements can be made.  We would appreciate a registration form for each participant.

State agencies and others that have been involved in Texas Water Day are the Texas Water Development Board, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, State Representative Bill Callegari, Chair, Government Efficiency & Reform Committee, and in the past, Texas Parks & Wildlife Department. 

2012 Texas Water Day registration form