WSP08458

• File Number: 8282.751
• Description: Colorado River Operations
• Basin: Colorado Mainstem
• Date: 1/1/2002
• Author: USDOI/BOR
• Title: Draft Environmental Impact Statement Vol 1 Implementation Agreement, Inadvertent Overrun and Payback Policy and Related Federal Actions
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Publication

Executive SJlmmary

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Alternative Biological Conservation Measures

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No alternatives to the biological conservation measures identified in the BO are considered in
this ElS. These conservation measures, which were included by Reclamation in its BA, would
be implemented by Reclamation as specified in the BO. If Reclamation were unable to
implement these measures as proposed, reinitiated consultation with FWS would be required.

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NO-ACTION ALTERNATIVE

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Under the No-A.ction Alternative, the IA, lOP, and the biological conservation measures would
not be implemented,

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No Action for Implementation Agreement

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E]SIlCution of the IA commits the Secretary to make Colorado River water deliveries to the
.participating agencies according to the terms and conditions of the IA to enable implementation
of the QSA; execution of the IA is a condition precedent to the QSA Therefore, under the No-
Action Alternative, the QSA also would not be implemented. The Secretary would continue to
make deliveries of Colorado River water subject to existing legal requirements, including the
Law of the River, the existing priority system, and Section 5 contracts. Because the QSA
components are interdependent and represent a negotiated compromise of differing agency
positions, under the No-Action Alternative it is assumed that none of the ctSA components
would be jointly and consensually approved, constructed, or implemented by CVWD, lID, and
MWD.

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Significant unresolved issues would remain regarding how California would divide Colorado
River water among the participating agencies so as to Iimit.the State's normal year diversion of
Colorado River water to 4.4 MAFY. This would involve a reduction of approximately 600
KAFY from the 1990 to 1999 average Colorado River water diversion for the State of California,
as required by the Secretary (pursuant to the Decree, and the Long-Range Operation of
Colorado River Reservoirs (LROC), and in accordance with the California Limitation Act).
Specific implications of the No-Action Alternative are as follows:

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. The IID/MWD 1988 Agreement, IID/MWD/PVID/CVWD 1989 Approval Agreement,
and MWD/CVWD 1989 Agreement to Supplement Approval Agreement, which have
been implemented, would continue;

. There would be no consensual implementation of the new, cooperative, voluntary
management plans or programs for water conservation, exchanges or transfers among
the parties to the lA, and additional funding to support further agricultural conservation
would be subject to pending disputes;

. The structural projects embodied in the QSA that would help conserve Colorado River
water, such as lining the All-American Canal (AAC) and the Coachella Canal, could lose
$200 million in State funding and may not be implemented; therefore, there may not be
water available from canal lining projects to facilitate implementation of the San Luis
Rey Indian Water Rights Settlement Act;

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ES-6

DEIS -January 2002

lA, lOP, and Related Federal Actions EIS