Bills: HB346, HB1360, HB1510, HB1606, HB1804, HB1805, HB2156, HB2391, HB2767, HB3022, HB3044, HB3272, HB3293, HB3493, HB3809, HB3824, HJR110, HB2463

Keywords: expedited service, business records, veteran-owned businesses, franchise tax, fee schedule, Texas Ethics Commission, election reporting, campaign finance, violation categorization, penalties, public disclosure, Texas Utilities Code, electric utility, retail electric provider, municipally owned utility, electric cooperative, vegetation management, tree trimming, line clearance, transmission line

Transcript Highlights:

• Repairing this dam is state's history.
• Without the dam, there is no lake.
• Without the dam, during flood events.
• Without the dam, there is no lake. area. Without the dam, there is no lake.
• This project removes that creation.

Bills: HF4156, HF3835, HF3995, HF4383, HF4091, HF4084, HF4311, HF198, HF4486, HF4302, HF4309, HF4032, HF3855, HF3673, HF4265, HF4012, HF4339, HF4298, HF3852

Keywords: infrastructure, wastewater, stormwater, Buhl, state bonds, appropriations, economic development, water infrastructure, grants, capital investment, funding, state regulation, Frazee, North River Drive, infrastructure improvements, HF4383, Minnesota capital investment, bonding bill, Department of Natural Resources, DNR

Transcript Highlights:

• The money's never been spent from the dam safety program, right?
• The first is just on dam safety because I wouldn't want people that were watching to infer that dam safety
• The dam conversation, that's also another point that I want to bring up because Little Rock Dam, which
• sediment and building the capacity of the dam.
• proposal that would push the money away from dam safety.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> this committee uh requesting the removal this committee uh requesting the removal of<00:28:09.679
• When I say state-owned dams, the state owns 276 total dams.
• dams that we have and uh are seven dam dams that we have and uh the<01:19:43.520><c> funding</c><01:
• owns 276 say stateowned dams, the state owns 276 total<01:20:34.679><c> dams.
• </c> dams. Is that what you're saying? dams. Is that what you're saying?

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Dedicated Funds met to review the House budget provision that would impose a 5% administrative charge on a broad list of dedicated funds, with some exemptions. Members discussed the House approach versus the Senate’s more general approach of leaving the governor discretion over which funds could be charged. The chair explained the committee was hearing from agencies about any legal, contractual, or practical reasons their funds should be exempt, and the agenda was expanded to include several departments and written submissions from others. The Department of Education testified first, identifying several funds it said should be exempt: a printing revolving fund that is funded by transfers rather than fees; teacher certification, which is self-funded by educator licensing fees and would require an immediate fee increase if charged; a vending stand set-aside tied to the federal Randolph-Sheppard program and subject to federal approval and vendor committee procedures; and a public school infrastructure/safety account, where most revenue is transferred from the education trust fund or general fund rather than generated by fees. Members questioned the department about the effect on school safety projects and whether the fee would simply reduce the number of projects completed each year. The Veterans Home asked for exemptions for three funds: a donation benefit account used for recreational activities and quality-of-life expenses for residents, a small memorial trust fund whose interest supports veteran activities, and a resident member account that holds veterans’ personal income such as Social Security and pensions. The department argued the charge would reduce donations, cut services, and effectively function like an income tax on vulnerable veterans. The Banking Department also requested exemption for its consumer credit administration license fund, saying it is used to keep exam fees low and is expressly intended by statute to reduce costs on regulated businesses; it said the 5% charge would undermine that framework and could eventually force higher fees. The Department of Justice began testimony on its dedicated funds, starting with the medical legal investigative fund, which pays for death investigations and related services under statute and without general fund support. No votes or final actions were taken in the portion of the meeting provided; the committee mainly heard testimony and asked questions about the practical and legal effects of applying the administrative charge.

Transcript Highlights:

• Windy Valley is done. started to remove, they being, I'm not sure who they are, started to remove some
• Excessive rainfalls the water level upstream of the dam starts to build up behind the dam And then is
• There are multiple dams.
• dam.
• across the street from the dam.

Keywords: 1185, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Willisbee Dam. Do we know?
• I just have a question about how do you remove the salt cedar?
• Thank you, Madam Chair. ...remove salt cedar and then restore with native habitat.
• They have done the removal, the herbicide treatments, which have proved effective.
• I farm in the Arlington area, which is right above the Gillespie Dam.

Bills: SB1137, SB1176, SB1287, SB1335, SB1336, SB1445, SB1677

Keywords: underground utilities, utility locating, dig safe, call before you dig, 811, excavation safety, damage prevention, one-call center, locate request, white lining, large project coordination, buried infrastructure, subsurface utilities, utility marking, locator wire, locator strip, interactive positive response system, landlord duties, apartment community, mobile home park

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> which is the partial or complete removal which is the partial or complete removal of<03:04:04.960
• The aging Full Moon Dam was drained.
• </c> restore access to the reservoir, the dam restore access to the reservoir, the dam has<03:12:46.479
• </c> American innovation, we should remove American innovation, we should remove unnecessary<04:06:10.239
• </c><04:19:24.720><c> a</c> Enacting this bill will remove a Enacting this bill will remove a long-standing

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Tuesday, June 2, 2026, 1012, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The spreader dams that were put on this place years ago, there's only one out of all the spreader dams
• opening at the base of the dam.
• When excessive rain falls, the water level upstream of the dam starts to build up behind the dam and
• We put a stop-work order on the dam you're referring to. It was sort of a two-part dam.
• the street from the dam.

Summary: The joint Senate and House disaster preparedness and flooding hearing opened with quorum calls, prayer, testimony time limits, and remarks from legislative leaders emphasizing decorum, respect, and the goal of learning from the July 4 flood to prevent future loss of life. Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick and Speaker Dustin Burrows said the special session and hearings were intended to hear directly from local officials and residents, and that the state would pursue immediate and longer-term legislation and continue working beyond the current session. The committee then heard invited testimony from Kerr County, Kerrville, Kendall County, Real County, and the Upper Guadalupe River Authority, followed by member questions. Kerr County Judge Rob Kelly, Sheriff Larry Leitha, and emergency management coordinator William B. Thomas described the flood as a sudden, unprecedented event that overwhelmed local systems before many officials or residents understood the danger. They said the county received multiple National Weather Service and IPAWS alerts, but the rain fell in remote upstream areas with limited gauges, and the flood rose too quickly for normal response. They detailed the emergency response, including dispatchers handling heavy call volumes, deputies and volunteer firefighters conducting rescues, and state and federal partners assisting. County officials said 108 people died, including 37 children, and two remained missing. They called for better real-time flood detection, stronger rural emergency management resources, improved broadband and cell coverage, and more funding for swift-water rescue and warning systems. Kerrville Mayor Joe Herring and City Manager Dalton Rice said the city had floodplain rules, emergency plans, and prior preparedness efforts, but the event exposed gaps in communications and regional warning capacity. They urged the Legislature to fund a flood warning system, whether sirens, automated alerts, or a hybrid, and asked for support for predictive weather modeling, broadband expansion, a hazard mitigation fund, and disaster recovery resources. The Upper Guadalupe River Authority said it had long funded gauges and pursued flood-warning and mitigation projects, including a new software-based flood prediction system and possible retention dams, and planned to dedicate reserve funds to feasibility studies and infrastructure improvements. Kendall County Judge Shane Stolarczyk said his county’s emergency action plan and early alerts helped prevent deaths there, and he recommended easier access to alerting tools, a river-wide warning system, simpler grant applications, and regional coordination. Real County Judge Bella Rubio said rural counties face major challenges because of limited cell service, broadband, staffing, and funding, especially for camps and visitors along the Frio and Nueces rivers, and argued that reliable alert systems should be treated as a necessity, not a luxury. Members asked about the timeline of the flood, low-water crossings, communications failures, sirens, bridges, and funding, and several witnesses said the key lessons were better communications, better warning systems, and more investment in rural flood mitigation and emergency response.

Transcript Highlights:

• Willisbee Dam. Do we know?
• Madam Chair, Member, this would be a 36-mile stretch from 91st Avenue to Gillespie Dam.
• I just have a question about how do you remove the salt cedar?
• They have done the removal, the herbicide treatments, which have proved effective.
• I farm in the Arlington area, which is right above the Gillespie Dam.

Summary: The committee began with a presentation from the Arizona Water Banking Authority on its role storing Colorado River water underground and holding long-term storage credits for CAP municipal and industrial subcontractors, on-river contractors, the Hualapai Tribe, Mojave County Water Authority, and Nevada. Members asked about future firming for CAP subcontractors, recovery constraints, funding sources, and whether the authority could use groundwater withdrawal fee credits for Indian firming and CAP users. The manager explained the authority has no post-2026 firming policy yet for CAP M&I subcontractors, relies mainly on withdrawal fees and ad valorem taxes, and distributes credits on paper through ADWR transfer forms rather than delivering wet water. No action was taken on the presentation. The committee then heard SB 1445, which would allow certain small municipalities to conduct bacteriological testing on site with EPA-approved equipment and originally limited ADEQ sampling requirements to no more than four times per month. The sponsor and the mayor of Kearny argued the bill would reduce costs and travel burdens for rural towns while allowing more frequent testing. Committee discussion focused on whether the change was already possible under existing law and whether the amendment would weaken testing requirements. The Griffin amendment removed the language restricting ADEQ’s sampling frequency. The bill passed as amended on a 6-4 vote. The committee also considered SB 1137, a modernization measure for Arizona’s 811 call-before-you-dig system that sets procedures for large project coordination meetings, positive response communication, and related enforcement. Supporters from Associated General Contractors and an underground utility contractor said the bill reflects stakeholder consensus and would improve safety and efficiency without adding state costs. The Taylor amendment shifted implementation procedures from the Corporation Commission to the One Call Notification Center and made other technical changes. The bill passed unanimously, 10-0. SB 1287, which extends to all active management areas the ability of holders of irrigation grandfathered rights to withdraw up to 10 acre-feet annually for stockwatering or domestic use, also passed 9-1. The committee next approved SB 1335, as amended by a strike-everything amendment tied to the Ag-to-Urban program, allowing a groundwater savings holder to continue irrigating for up to two years after issuance of groundwater savings credits. DWR and irrigation district representatives said the change would address timing problems between relinquishing irrigation rights and finalizing development, while some members objected that it could increase groundwater pumping. The bill passed 5-4. Finally, SB 1336, which continues the State Land Department for four years and adds reporting, planning, and oversight provisions including a new oversight board, passed 5-4 after debate over whether another board was necessary and whether the reauthorization period was long enough. The committee concluded with SB 1677, appropriating $3 million for salt cedar mitigation along the lower Gila River and the Gila-Colorado confluence. Supporters from Audubon Southwest, the City of Buckeye, and local landowners described flood, fire, habitat, and water-supply benefits, while members questioned herbicide use and the need for data. The bill passed 9-0, and the meeting adjourned after all votes were completed.

Transcript Highlights:

• Does this bill remove water programs.
• </c> Shelbyville uh took a position to remove Shelbyville uh took a position to remove fluoride<00:51
• </c> there an effective way to remove there an effective way to remove fluoride<01:04:12.000><c> from
• And Kentucky Dam safety—$5 million has been appropriated to Penny Ralph Forest State Park Dam.
• <01:24:15.040><c> priority</c><01:24:15.520><c> for</c> Park Dam the dam is a priority for Park Dam the

Keywords: Discussion of SB 126 (2025 RS) 00:05:13 Discussion of HB 16 (2025 RS) 00:15:40 Kentucky Department of Parks – Overview 01:05:06, 958, all

Summary: The committee met jointly for State Government, State and Local Government, and Elections and Constitutional Amendments, approved the minutes from the September 23 meeting, and then took up discussion of Senate Bill 126, a proposed constitutional amendment to restrict the governor’s pardon power. Senator Chris McDaniel said the measure was prompted by concerns over pardons issued in 2019 and would bar pardons for 60 days before a gubernatorial election through the swearing-in of a new governor, leaving the power otherwise intact. Members who spoke generally supported the proposal as a way to increase accountability, and McDaniel said he intended to place it on the 2026 ballot. No vote was taken on the bill during the discussion. The committee then moved to House Bill 16 on water fluoridation. Representative Hart and Senator Greg Elkins said the bill would remove Kentucky’s fluoridation mandate and give local water districts the choice to add fluoride or not. They emphasized that the revised draft also adds immunity language to protect districts from civil litigation regardless of their decision. Dr. Jack Call, a Louisville dentist, presented against fluoridation, arguing that the main dental benefit is topical rather than from drinking water and citing studies and reports he said linked fluoride exposure to reduced IQ in children and other health concerns. Cindy Batson, a nurse and parent, also supported the bill and said she had testified on the issue for years. During questions, Senator Rollins raised concerns about fluoride being an industrial byproduct and described fluoridation as forced medication. The discussion remained focused on the bill’s local-control and immunity provisions, with sponsors saying they were not trying to relitigate the broader science but wanted to remove the mandate. The transcript ends while questions and testimony on HB 16 were still underway, and no final committee action is shown.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:21:01.840><c> water</c> As a result, the weir is damming water As a result, the weir is damming
• So with and uh remove this project.
• dams, or um waterfall?
• </c><00:43:06.680><c> pie</c> dams piece of the pie dams piece of the pie every<00:43:08.280><c> year
• And then the removal of one project.

Bills: HF3879

Keywords: outdoor heritage, conservation, habitat restoration, natural resources, wildlife management, 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><01:09:49.279><c> removal</c><01:09:49.839><c> projects,</c> do dam removal projects, do dam removal
• Dams Bureau, if they recommend the removal of a dam.
• And we would never recommend removal of a dam or take part in funding the removal of a dam if it was
• /c> recommend removal of a dam or take part recommend removal of a dam or take part in<01:11:15.840><
• 24.960><c> enhances</c> removing a dam actually enhances removing a dam actually enhances especially<

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Dedicated Funds met to review inactive and dedicated accounts, note prior legislation that had passed, and begin its annual review of agency funds. Members discussed several inactive funds, including some HHS-related accounts, a law enforcement memorial fund, and possible cleanup of accounting references where funds had been reorganized or merged. Staff noted that some newer funds may simply not have started receiving revenue yet, and the committee agreed to follow up on specific accounts later rather than address everything immediately. The committee then heard from Fish and Game on its dedicated funds. Topics included the statewide public boat access account, which is used for boat ramp and access-site maintenance and is supported by boat registration fees and federal funds; the ORV education, training, and enforcement account, which has declined over time and may need attention because revenue depends heavily on weather and snowmobile use; and the search and rescue account, which is funded by Hike Safe cards, a $1 fee from boat and OHRV registrations, and court-ordered fees. Fish and Game also explained that the conservation license plate fund had been merged into the non-game species management account, which is supported by donations, federal funds, and a statutory general fund transfer, and that pheasants are treated as game species under a separate program. The committee spent considerable time on the lifetime license account, an off-book Treasury-held account that collects lifetime license sales and returns funds to Fish and Game based on annual sales plus 9% of the fund balance. Members questioned why the account’s presentation did not clearly show the transfer as a revenue reduction and suggested the reporting format needed cleanup so the flow of money would be easier to understand. Fish and Game said the account is operating properly and that the transfer to the unrestricted Fish and Game fund exceeded $400,000 in the most recent year. The committee also reviewed the publications and fundraising revolving fund, which keeps a $100,000 balance for inventory purchases and transfers excess year-end funds to the unrestricted Fish and Game fund; members again raised concerns that the reporting format did not clearly show the transfer, and staff said they could add a note or other clarification.

Transcript Highlights:

• and places them under the same level of maintenance, inspection, and fee structures as dams.
• AB 639 corrects this oversight and preserves California's high standards for dam safety.
• Pine Flat Dam was built, and then the channel below was a part of that project.
• So that was under the 1944 Flood Control Act, Pine Flat Dam was built, and then the channel below was
• AB 454 will remove the California Migratory Bird Protection Act sunset date, making it permanent.

Summary: The committee heard several water, parks, and wildlife bills. AB 764 would expand the list of exotic non-game birds that can be managed in California to better control mute swan populations; the author and California Waterfowl said swans are invasive, aggressive, and rapidly increasing, while no opposition testified. The bill passed to Appropriations. AB 616 would make the State Library Parks Pass program permanent by allowing state parks to transfer annual day-use passes to the State Library free of charge; supporters said it improves equitable access to parks, especially for low-income families, and the bill passed unanimously to Appropriations. AB 293 would require groundwater sustainability agencies to post board membership and a link to Form 700 filings online. Supporters, including the Community Alliance with Family Farmers, argued it would improve transparency and public trust, while opponents said the requirement was redundant and could discourage service on GSA boards. The bill passed, but with some no votes. AB 639 would narrow the definition of dams so certain weirs used for irrigation would not be subject to dam regulations; the author and technical witnesses said the structures pose no safety risk and are already closely managed, while members urged the bill be narrowed further to the Kings River area. It passed as amended to Appropriations. AB 679 would streamline land transfers for Big Basin Redwoods, Año Nuevo, and Butano State Parks by exempting those acquisitions from the Public Works Board process. Supporters said it would speed conservation and park rebuilding after the CZU fire, while one member opposed it over cost and broader state land-management concerns; it passed as amended. AB 454 would remove the sunset on the California Migratory Bird Protection Act, making state protections for migratory birds permanent after federal rollback concerns; it passed as amended to Appropriations. The committee also adopted its 2025-26 rules and approved the consent calendar, and the meeting adjourned after add-on votes were taken for absent members.

Transcript Highlights:

• They have started to remove.
• dams acted as a flood control preventive. to explain what a retention dam does, and that's what we need
• There are multiple dams, homemade, I didn't know this, homemade dams because the area is by springs.
• So we put a stop work order on the dam you're referring to. It was sort of a two part dam.
• So you go over there now, a lot of people. know about the Ingraham Dam, they've slid down the dam, you

Keywords: 997, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• USDA-type dams.
• Chairman, you talk about 2,200 dams, earthen dams.
• They have a water supply dam and a couple of recreational dams. That'd be like anger.
• So because of that, our dam infrastructure has to be maintained in a dam-ready position.
• At the dams. Yes, sir. Right.

Keywords: flooding, emergency response, communication systems, first responders, disaster management, Texas Water Development Board, regional planning, public safety

Summary: The meeting primarily focused on discussions around the recent floods in Texas, specifically addressing emergency preparedness, response coordination, and recovery efforts. Officials from various agencies provided testimonies on the challenges faced during the emergency, including issues with communication systems among first responders. Notably, the need for improved inter-agency communication and technology integration was emphasized, with recommendations for establishing regional communications units for better coordination during disasters. The audience included local government representatives and emergency management partners, who shared insights and experiences from the recent flooding events.

Transcript Highlights:

• If those earthen dams...
• Chairman, you talk about 2,200 dams, earthen dams, and you talk about some additional details.
• That would be like Ingram Dam?
• Because of that, our dam infrastructure has to be maintained in a dam-ready position.
• At the dams. Yes, sir.

Keywords: 1185, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• historically significant to the tribe and impacted by the dam.
• The removal of these dams took out a significant power source and reduced the clean energy production
• Instead, we get after the removal of the dams. Dead fish. THEY'RE GONE NOW.
• THE REMOVAL AFTER THESE DAMS TOOK OUT A SIGNIFICANT POWER SOURCE AND REDUCED THE CLEAN ENERGY PRODUCTION
• INSTEAD WE GET AFTER THE REMOVAL OF THE DAMS, DEAD FISH. I YIELD BACK.

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Tuesday, February 4, 2025, 1012, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We have thousands of old dams removed to free our rivers and thousands of acres of wetlands to repair
• Last year, we did four dam removals in Massachusetts.
• So at that pace, it'll take us 750 years to remove all of the obsolete dams that choke our waterways.
• We need to go, last year we did four dam removals in Massachusetts.
• So at that pace, it'll take us 750 years to remove all of the obsolete dams that choke our waterways.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The hearing covered a broad set of environmental and water-related bills, with much of the testimony focused on blue economy and circular economy proposals, drought management, drinking water safety, flood resilience, and water infrastructure funding. Supporters of bills such as H. 987 and H. 988 described grant programs for blue economy workforce development, research, small businesses, and public education about a circular economy. Other speakers backed measures on coastal erosion research, recreational boating dredging, cranberry water-right transfers, sand mining oversight, and a voucher program for home water filtration in PFAS-impacted communities. Several elected officials and advocates also urged passage of bills to require private well testing, improve school drinking water safety, and address sand mining pollution and PFAS contamination. Water supply and drought issues drew extensive testimony. Senator Eldridge and others supported legislation to let the state, through DEP and the drought management task force, impose regional water-use restrictions during droughts and make the task force permanent in statute. Advocates from watershed groups, farms, and environmental organizations said the current town-by-town approach is inconsistent and ineffective, and they described drought impacts on rivers, farms, private wells, and wildfire risk. A related bill on private wells was supported as a way to help homeowners test and remediate contaminated wells, especially in rural areas without public water. The committee also heard testimony on a bill to allow the Lynnfield Water District to join the MWRA, with local officials saying the move would help address PFAS and other contamination and improve supply reliability. Another major panel supported a water infrastructure funding bill, arguing that aging drinking water, wastewater, and stormwater systems need major new investment, including support for PFAS treatment, sewer rate relief, biosolids research, and regional interconnections. Members asked about costs, funding sources, and the relationship to existing revolving loan funds; witnesses said the bill would need to be paired with future bond funding and new revenue ideas. No votes were taken during the hearing, and the chairs repeatedly invited written testimony and noted the large number of speakers.

Transcript Highlights:

• First, the bill removes an unnecessary 10-day wait period for de minimis amendments.
• AB 454 removes the sunset date from the California Migratory Bird Protection Act, ensuring that this
• AB 639 makes a narrow exception to the definition of dams to ensure it does not inadvertently apply an
• The Division of Safety of Dams.
• And the focus of the Division of Safety of Dams really should be on the 1,200 dams that are of significance

Summary: The Assembly Appropriations Committee met on April 9, 2025, with a large regular-order agenda and a consent calendar. The committee first approved a set of unanimous consent bills, then heard and acted on several measures, generally with authors describing them as having minor or absorbable fiscal effects. Bills discussed included AB 439 on Coastal Act streamlining, AB 322 on school-based health and mental health reimbursement participation, AB 679 on state park land acquisition exemptions, AB 482 updating the California Table Grape Commission law, AB 681 increasing the Dream Loan Program cap, AB 40 clarifying emergency services include reproductive health care, AB 454 making the California Migratory Bird Protection Act permanent, AB 572 creating protections for families of people killed or seriously injured by peace officers, and AB 639 narrowing the definition of dams to avoid extra regulation for certain water operators. Testimony was largely in support of the bills. Supporters included representatives from the University of California, the California Table Grape Commission, Audubon California, Sempervirens Fund, emergency physicians, health equity groups, water districts, and several impacted family members and advocacy organizations on AB 572. AB 572 drew especially emotional testimony from family members describing police-involved deaths and the need for transparency and protection from coercive questioning. No organized opposition was raised on most of the bills heard in committee, though AB 439 drew no-votes from some Republicans, and AB 572 and other measures were framed as low-cost or cost-neutral. The committee reported the bills out on roll calls after motions and seconds, with several measures passing on B-roll calls and AB 482 passing on an A-roll call. After the hearing on presented bills, the committee also approved the suspense calendar and accepted brief public comment on bills not heard that day, including opposition to AB 339 and support for AB 335. The meeting then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• The Tolna Coulee control structure is thought of as a dam.
• Chairman Hawkin and Representative Frelich, again, not a dam.
• And so tiling and trying to remove this through that water...
• The one thing, that structure was a... ...it's not a dam, it's a control structure, not a dam.
• It was never a dam.

Summary: The committee opened its third interim meeting with roll call, approved the November 13, 2025 minutes, and the chair reviewed prior committee work, including a denied request for a fertilizer-capacity study and a planned later discussion of the Union Pacific/Norfolk Southern merger issue. Commissioner Doug Goring then presented Department of Agriculture updates on uncrewed aerial systems grants to detect noxious weeds, the state’s irrigation potential, the low-carbon fuels program for ethanol plants, the Environmental Impact Mitigation Fund, model zoning ordinances for animal feeding operations, and fertilizer production and supply in North Dakota. Members asked about funding sources, fertilizer storage and availability, natural gas and water needs for future fertilizer plants, and how the model zoning website would help counties and townships apply setback and odor tools. A substantial portion of the meeting focused on the Department of Water Resources’ economic analysis tool for water conveyance and flood-related projects. Dr. Dwayne Poole explained that the department is proposing changes to better account for end-of-useful-life conditions and updated hydrologic data, while still limiting the model to direct, demonstrable costs and benefits. He said the goal is to make the analysis more realistic and consistent without changing statute, and he provided examples of how project benefits could change as drains age or as rainfall and flood data evolve. Committee members and water-user representatives generally supported continued work on the proposal, while raising concerns about downstream impacts, closed-basin projects, and whether the changes would meaningfully affect project approvals. The committee then heard from John Paskowski, state engineer, on Devil’s Lake, the West End and East End outlets, and the Tolna Coulee control structure. He reviewed lake history, outlet capacities, sulfate and downstream flow limits, and explained that the control structure is intended to prevent a catastrophic uncontrolled release by slowing erosion and head cutting. Members asked about water quality trends, the length of the downstream flow constraint, and whether the Tolna Coulee area had been studied for possible natural overflow or silt buildup. The discussion emphasized ongoing flooding concerns, mitigation for affected landowners, and the need to balance outlet operations with downstream water quality and infrastructure protection.