BOARD00149 ‎(2)‎

• Board Meeting Date: 3/12/2007
• Description: WSP Section - Colorado River - Weather Modification Cooperative Agreement Issues
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Memo

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2. The Central Arizona Water Conservatidn District ("CA WCD") is a multi-county water
conservation district established under A.d.s. ~~ 48-3701 et seq., that operates and maintains the
Central Arizona Project. I
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3. The Southern Nevada. Water Authority ("SNW A") is a Nevada joint powers agency and
political subdivision ofthe State ofNevad~, created by agreement dated July 25, 1991, as
amended November 17, 1994, and January I 1, 1996, pursuant to N.R.S. ~~ 277.074 and 277.120.
SNW A is authorized by N.R.S. ~ 538.186 to enter into this Agreement.

4. The Colorado Water Conservation Boar~ ("CWCB") is a division of the State of Colorado,
Department of Natural Resources, created for the purpose of aiding in the protection and
development of the waters of the State of Colorado. The CWCB has been delegated the
responsibilities for administration of the weather modification program within the State of
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Colorado, pursuant to C.R.S., Section 36-2(i)-101, et seq.
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B. Background

1. On May 2, 2005, the Secretary of the Interior announced her intent to undertake a process to
develop Lower Basin shortage guidelines ~d explore management options for the coordinated
operation oflakes Powell and Mead under l~w reservoir conditions. On June 15,2005, the
Bureau of Reclamation published a notice i* the Federal Register, announcing its intent to
implement the Secretary of the Interior's dir~ction.

2. On August 25, 2005, the Governors' Representatives for the seven Colorado River Basin .
States ("Basin States") wrote a letter to the Secretary of the Interior expressing conceptual
agreement in the development and impleme~tation of three broad strategies for improved
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management and operation of the Colorado ~ver: Coordinated Reservoir Management under
low reservoir conditions and Lower Basin S~ortage Guidelines; System Efficiency and
Management; and Augmentation of Supply. :

3. At the request of the Secretary of the Intepor, the Parties have continued their discussions
relative to the areas of agreement outlined in letters of August 25, 2005 and February 3, 2006.

4. In furtherance of the letters of August 25,': 2005 and February 3, 2006, the Parties have
reached agreement to take additional actions I, for their mutual benefit, which are designed to
increase the supply of water available in the Colorado River System and improve the
management of water in the Colorado River ~asin. In addition, the Parties have agreed to
implement actions toward optimizing cloud ~eeding activities.

5. The CWCB has regulatory authority over';cloud seeding operators. Typically, such operators
contract with local program sponsors such as; water districts and water utilities for cloud seeding
services in specific watersheds.

6. The State of Colorado, through the CWCB, has established a weather modification program
(C.R.S. 36-20-102 et 311.). The CWCB receives appropriations for the weather modification

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