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<br />. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />discussion generally include the following: (I) Status of the QSA and related documents; (2) 2001 <br />and 2002 Overrun and Payback; (3) New Mexico's proposed resolution related to the Navajo-Gallup <br />Project (see below); (4) Mohave Generation Station Slurry Pipeline; (5) Update on the San Diego- <br />Tijuana Pipeline; (6) Five-Year Review of the Long-Range Operating Criteria; (7) Binational <br />Committee for Information and Advice related to the Colorado River Delta, Mexico; (8) mwc's <br />creation of a Colorado River Citizen's Forum; (9) Binational issues related to the Rio <br />Grande/Colorado River; (10) Reclamation's Report to Congress regarding Title I of the Colorado <br />River Basin Salinity Control Act; and (II) Reclamation's Yuma-area water management activities. <br /> <br />Navajo - Gallup Water Supply Project <br /> <br />As was discussed last month at the Board meeting, the State of New Mexico, in a <br />memorandum dated October 30, 2002, has proposed to transfer a portion of its Colorado River <br />apportionment from a diversion point in the San Juan River in the Upper Colorado River Basin to <br />places of use on the Navajo Indian Reservation located within the Lower Colorado River Basin and <br />the Rio Grande Basin. The transport of the water would be through a pipeline nearly 100 miles in <br />length. All of the water proposed for use in New Mexico would be a depletion of the Colorado River <br />at Lee Ferry, and would be charged against New Mexico's Upper Colorado River Basin <br />apportionment. <br /> <br />New Mexico proposes to divert and transfer 31,353 acre-feet of San Juan River water. Of <br />the total amount, 16,300 acre-feet of diversion would be used within the Upper Basin in New <br />Mexico; an additional 13,934 acre-feet would be transported and used within the Lower Basin in <br />New Mexico; and fmally, 1,119 acre-feet would be transported and used within the Rio Grande <br />Basin in New Mexico. <br /> <br />New Mexico maintains that precedent for this type of action was envisioned and authorized <br />in the 1968 Colorado River Basin Project Act (P.L. 90-537). The language in the CRBPA was <br />specifically related to water uses associated with operation of the thermal generating plant <br />constructed to offset the energy needs of the Central Arizona Project (at the current Navajo <br />Generating Station outside of Page, Arizona). The proposed Basin States' resolution, advocated by <br />New Mexico, will not go into force unless the United States Congress expressly recognizes the terms <br />and principles of the resolution. <br /> <br />Finally, the New Mexico memorandum indicates that the State of Utah is contemplating the <br />preparation and submittal of a similar resolution in support of its Lake Powell-St. George pipeline <br />project. This proposed project would also move Utah Upper Basin apportionment to uses in Utah <br />located within the Lower Basin. <br /> <br />I have circulated the materials related to the New Mexico proposal and a draft of the <br />proposed Basin States' Resolution to Board members, Agency Managers and attorneys asking for <br />their review and comment. Because of the existing work-load and priorities associated with the <br />QSA-related processes, I suggest that we defer formal Board action on this issue until the January <br />2003 Board meeting. I encourage the Board members and their Agency technical and legal staff to <br /> <br />6 <br />