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

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Adoption of an Inadvertent Overrun and Payback Policy (lOP), which establishes
requirements for payback of inadvertent overuse of Colorado River water by Colorado
River water users in the Lower Division States. The lOP is a condition precedent to the
execution of the IA and QSA and must be in place by the time these agreements go into
effect.

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Executive Summary

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Implementation of biological conservation measures to offset potential impacts from the
proposed action tha t could occur to federally listed fish and wildlife species or their
associated critical habitats within the historic floodplain of the Colorado River between
Parker Dam and Imperial Darn. '!pese mp"omp~ were developed and agreed to by
Reclamation and the US, Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) in res onse to Reclamation's
Au s 10 ogzca Assessmen or ro osed Interim. Su Ius Criteria, Secretarial
Implementation Agreements for California Water Plan Components and Conseroation Measures
on the Lower Colorado River (Lake Mead to tlte Southerly International Boundary) (BA) and
were inco orated irito the anua 2001 Biological 0 inion. or Interim Su I ia,
Secretarial Implementation Agreements, and onseroation Measures on tlte Lower Colorado
River, Lake Mead to the Southerly International Boundary Arizona, California, and Nevada
(BO),

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Execution of the Implementation Agreement

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The IA component of the proposed action would commit the Secretary to make Colorado River
water deliveries iri accordance with the tenns and conditions of the IA to enable
implementation of the QSA, For purposes of the analysis in this EIS, the IA includes all of the
components of the QSA that relate to water transfers and changes in delivery of Colorado River
water.

The QSA is an agreement among CVWD, IlD, and MWD to budget their portion of California's
apportionment of Colorado River water among themselves, and to make available water
conserved iri the IlD service area to SDCW A (these water agencies are collectively referred to as
the participating agencies), The QSA quantifies, by agreement, the amount of Colorado River
water available to the participating agencies and calls for specific, changed distribution of that
water among the agencies for the next 75 years, This is referred to as the "quantification
period" and extends for up to 75 years, from 2002 to 2077. The QSA is a major component of
the California Plan (described in section 1.5) and is part of the means by which California would
reduce its Colorado River water consumptive use to 4.4 MAF in a normal year. By approvirlg
the lA, the Secretary would agree to make Colorado River water deliveries to the participating
agencies to implement this changed distribution, The agencies' service areas, as well as the
affected portion of the Colorado River, are shown on the project location map (Figure 2,2-1).
gable 2.2-1 lists the Federal actions associated with the QSA components and the various NEPA
and/or CEQA documents that have been or are being prepared to address impacts of these
components.

1m lementation of the IA and QSA would not affect h delivery, distribution, and/or I' of
Colorado River water y the tates of Arizona and Nevada; nor wou I' IA and QSA affect
the delivery, distribution and/or use of Colorado .v r water b the U er Division States.
Also, t I' an QSA would not affect Colorado River water deliveries to Mexico under the
US-Mexico Water Treaty and other applicable agreements and would not affect the delivery,

E5-2

lA, lOP, and Related federal Actiolls ElS

DEIS -lallJwry 2002