Laserfiche WebLink
<br />-'.;..'..r,_'.. -;.-, -;"i"'(....- ,. :"~ <br />. . <br /> <br />, <br />I <br /> <br />OO?'C3 <br />...."1 .j,... <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />,.\ <br /> <br />of San Bernardino have progressed and formalized a contract and forwarded it to Reclamation for its <br />consideration. Reclamation has transmitted the proposed agreement to interested parties along the <br />Colorado River for comment. This proposed agreement will be a topic for discussion at the Board's <br />October meeting. For your information, I have also included in the Board folder, copies of CVWD, <br />MWD, and the Arizona Department of Water Resources comments to the proposed agreement. Each <br />of these agencies have expressed concerns regarding the proposed transfer. Also, for your information, <br />a copy of a letter from Mr. Gowan to Reclamation will be distributed at the Board meeting. In that <br />letter, Mr. Gowan indicates that his application for a change in the point of diversion has reached a <br />critical point. He also states that he has followed what he believes has been the established procedure <br />for obtaining Reclamation's approval of his application. <br /> <br />Bypass Alternatives/Recovery Alternatives <br /> <br />As has been discussed at previous Board meetings, Reclamation is attempting to find a source <br />of water to replace the water that is currently flowing to Mexico in the Bypass Drain. On August 28'" <br />a meeting of the Colorado River Management Work Group was held to discuss alternative methods to <br />account for conserved water and alternatives to obtain water to replace the bypass flows. In anticipation <br />of that meeting, various environmental organizations forwarded their joint proposal for consideration <br />as an alternative to those being considered by Reclamation. <br /> <br />They have proposed that one way for Reclamation to replace water in the bypass channel is to <br />transfer (lease or purchase) water from farmers in the Wellton Mohawk Irrigation Drainage District <br />(WMIDD) who use Colorado River water to irrigate crops such as cereals and grains that have low <br />economic productivity. A reduction of irrigation water in the WMIDD would reduce the quantity of <br />water draining into the MODE, thus allowing it to be replaced with groundwater pumped from the <br />Yuma Mesa. <br /> <br />This topic will be discussed at the October retreat, especially as it relates to restoration of the <br />Colorado River Delta in Mexico. <br /> <br />Califomia's Colorado River Water Use Plan <br /> <br />Colorado River Quantification Settlement Facilitation Act <br /> <br />On August 31 ", a Joint Hearing of the Senate Agriculture and Water Resources and Assembly <br />Water, Parks, and Wildlife Committees was held in Los Angeles to receive testimony conceming <br />California's Colorado River Water Use Plan: Status and Remaining Issues. Testimony was provided <br />by the Department of the Interior concerning Interim Surplus Guidelines; and the CVWD, lID, MWD, <br />and SDCW A regarding the Quantification Settlement Agreement and achieving interim surplus criteria <br />milestones. During the hearing, the Califomia agencies stressed the need to resolve the issues that have <br />emerged related to the Salton Sea. In that regard, they indicated the need to have both state and federal <br />legislation, along with assistance in funding the restoration effort involving the Salton Sea. <br /> <br />3 <br />