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<br />002H 7 <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />-The Teclmical Committee, formed by the Basin States representatives, held its first meeting in Las <br />Vegas, Nevada, on March 28th. During that meeting two subcommittees were formed. The Water Data <br />subcommittee was to collect and compile existing data on Mexico's water demands and water uses; and <br />the Broad Brush subcommittee was to prepare a list of potential water supply options that could fit into <br />an overall water management plan within Mexico. Both subcommittees are to have inforrnation'available <br />prior to the next meeting of the Technical Committee, scheduled to be held on April 30, 2002. <br /> <br />Proposed Agreement between Nevada and Arizona for Off-Stream Storage <br /> <br />As I reported at the last Board meeting, the Arizona Water Banking Authority (A WBA), Southern <br />Nevada Water Authority (SNW A), and the Colorado River Commission of Nevada have signed a historic <br />agreement (Agreement fiJr Interstate Water Banking) to create a program for the interstate banking of <br />mainstream Colorado River water. <br /> <br />Pursuant to this agreement, the A WBA will acquire and store mainstream Colorado River water <br />in Arizona and thereby create long-term Storage Credits to be held in the SNW A's Interstate Account. In <br />order to implement this agreement, the Parties to the Agreement for Interstate Water Banking and <br />Reclamation have developed a draft agreement entitled Storage and Interstate Release Agreement (SIRA) <br />which describes how the A WBA will establish the SNW A Interstate Account; develop Intentionally Created <br />Unused Apportionment (ICUA) as defined in the Off-Stream Storage Rule (43 CFR 414); and develop <br />other administrative functions required to implement the agreement. In conjunction with the SIRA, <br />Reclamation has released a draft Environmental Assessment (DEA) for review and comment. Comments <br />on the draft agreement and the DEA were due on March 25, 2002. <br /> <br />Included in the Board folder is a copy of the Board's comment letter, dated March 22, 2002, on the <br />A WBAlSNW A proposed SIRA and Reclamation's DEA. In addition to several editorial comments, the <br />letter expresses the Board's overall support of the process for creation of the ICUA, pursuant to the <br />proposed SIRA among the United States and entities in the States of Arizona and Nevada. The Board <br />recognizes the value of the Off-Stream Storage Rule as one of the tools available to the Lower Division <br />States for optimizing the use of mainstream Colorado River water supplies. <br /> <br />Colorado River Environmental Activities <br /> <br />Status of the Development of the Lower Colorado River Multi-Species Conservation Program <br /> <br />In conjunction with development of the Lower Colorado River Multi-Species Conservation Program <br />(MSCP), Reclamation has requested an extension of the biological opinion on Lower Colorado River <br />operations and routine maintenance activities which became effective in 1997. The 1997 opinion contained <br />a requirement for completion of the MSCP, or reconsultation, by May 2002. Currently, the MSCP <br />development schedule calls for a completed MSCP and Record-of-Decision in January 2004. <br />Consequently, on March 26,2002, Reclamation submitted a biological assessment to the U.S. Fish and <br />WIldlife Service (USFWS). <br /> <br />In the assessment Reclamation determined that its routine discretionary river operations and <br /> <br />7 <br />