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<br />. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />year); and <br />. Utilize groundwater pumpage in the Yuma area to meet Treaty needs and to maintain the <br />Cienega de Santa Clara. <br /> <br />At the conclusion of the meeting, ADWR committed to prepare detailed meeting notes <br />capturing the discussions, the identified management goals and objectives, and the potential options. <br />The notes will be distributed for review and comment among the meeting participants and interested <br />parties. Finally, ADWR does plan to hold a follow-up meeting to identify the next steps. <br /> <br />Basin StateslTribe Discussions <br /> <br />Lower Division States Meeting <br /> <br />Representatives from the Lower Division states met on February 6, 2004, with Reclamation <br />to discuss several issues, including: I) shortage criteria, 2) illegal diverters, 3) options to operation <br />of the Yuma Desalting Plant, 4) Nevada's revised return flow credit, and 5) the need for a seven <br />Basin states meeting. During the meeting there was an expressed need to begin to address shortage <br />criteria for operation of the Colorado River System reservoirs because of the extended drought <br />conditions and the increased water demands in the Basin. In addition to looking at shortage criteria <br />and factors to be considered in detennining when a shortage should be declared, it was felt that the <br />states and Reclamation should be looking at cooperative programs that could lessen the impact or <br />avoid shortage declarations. Both the shortage criteria and possible cooperative management <br />programs to avoid shortages will be a topics of further discussion at the next Lower Division states <br />and Reclamation meeting to be held in about two months. <br /> <br />During the February 6'" meeting the impact that unauthorized and illegal water use is having <br />on the junior priority water users in the three Lower Division states and on the storage contents in <br />the reservoir system was discussed. During the discussion, Reclamation committed to outlining a <br />process for addressing the unauthorized use of Colorado River water and sharing it with the states <br />prior to the next meeting. <br /> <br />Reclamation indicated that it is continuing to look at options that would allow it to not operate. <br />the Yuma Desalting Plant, as well as, continuing to move forward with making the Plant operational. <br />Reclamation is continuing to look at the possibility of pumping perched ground water in the Yuma <br />area to replace a portion of the drainage water from the Wellton Mohawk Irrigation and Drainage <br />District that currently is released into the Bypass Drain and to the Cienega de Santa Clara. Also, <br />soon Reclamation will release a request for proposals that would identify additional possible sources <br />of water that could be used to replace the water released into the Bypass Drain and to the Cienega <br />de Santa Clara. <br /> <br />During the meeting the Nevada representatives indicated a desire to have a seven Colorado <br />River Basin states meeting where Nevada could fully explain the water situation in Southern Nevada, <br />as well as, its increased water demands. Also, during that meeting it would be prepared to explain <br />the rationale and data used to revise the methodology for detennination of Nevada's return flow <br />credits. <br /> <br />4 <br />