WSP10043 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

. . of Decision for the Final ElR/EIS is planned for September 2001. There will be another public comment period around September 2000. More information about the Project can be found at the Project website: <http://www.is.ch2m.com/iidweb>. Lower Colorado Water Supo]v Proiect As you will recall, the Lower Colorado Water Supply Act (Act) was passed by the U. S. Congress on November 24, 1988. The purpose of the Act is to provide Colorado River water for domestic, municipal, industrial, and recreational purposes by way of Federal exchange contracts. The Act is targeted at water users along the Colorado River who either do not have, or have insufficient water rights to satisfY their water needs. The total capacity of the Lower Colorado Water Supply Project (Project), as stated in the Act, is 10,000 acre-feet per year. Currently, a 5,000 acre-feet per year well facility has been completed (Phase I) adjacent to the All-American Canal (AAe) near the Sand Dunes, but Phase I has not been "signed-off' by Reclamation. That release should be made soon. The idea behind the Project is that groundwater near the AAC could be pumped into the AAC for use in the Imperial and Coachella Valleys. In exchange, a like amount of water would be made available to Project users upstream of the AAe. There would be no reduction in the deliveries to the Valleys. New exchange contracts could be executed between the Federal government and Project users. The U. S. Geological Survey (USGS) has completed its survey of the "accounting surface". The accounting surface is the land area where groundwater is assumed to be hydraulicly connected to the Colorado River. Hence, people who have wells that penetrate this surface are pumping Colorado River water. Currently, the USGS is conducting an in-house review of its work. It is anticipated that a document will be available for public review in November of this year. Reclamation is working on a contract with the Imperial Irrigation District (lID) to operate and maintain the well field adjacent to the AAe. The City of Needles will be the prime contractor for the exchange water - contracting for 3,500 acre-feet per year - and will be the master contractor for all non-federal entities within California. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has contracted for 1,000 acre-feet per year, leaving 500 acre-feet per year out of Phase I available to other eligible users. Phase II of the Project has yet to be funded. Reclamation is suggesting that a Federal "rule" may be needed to implement this Project. CRB staff is currently working with Reclamation to identifY how to notifY people within the accounting surface that they may be eligible for Project water. Colorado River Endanl!ered Species The Lower Colorado River Multi-Species Conservation Program (LCR MSCP) Steering Committee met on September 23, 1999, in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Steering Committee, at its August 261h meeting established a small group led by Mr. Chris Harris, who is with the Arizona Department of Water Resoruces, to develop a detailed analysis of the 22 conservation areas identified by the Plan Development Contractor (Ogden). The group has 4