BOARD00166 ‎(3)‎

• Board Meeting Date: 5/22/2007
• Description: OWCDP Section - Colorado Foundation for Water Education FY08 Program Scope of Work
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Memo

consent of the Parties. If such extension and recommendation are not made, this
Agreement shall terminate in accordance with Paragraph 16.

8. Development of Interim Water Supplies. System Au~mentation. System
Efficiency and Water Enhancement Proiects. The Parties agree to diligently pursue
interim water supplies, system augmentation, system efficiency and water enhancement
projects within the Colorado River System. The term "system augmentation" includes
the quantifiable addition of new sources of supply to the Colorado River Basin, including
impOltation from outside the Basin or desalination of ocean water or brackish water. The
term "system efficiency" includes efficiency projects in the Lower Basin that will result
in the more efficient use of existing supplies, such as in-system storage and enhanced
management. The term "water enhancement" includes projects that may increase
available system water, including cloud seeding and non-native vegetation management.
Due to the critical importance of implementing these projects in reducing the potential for
shortages, the Parties shall continue to jointly pursue the study and implementation of
such projects, and to regularly consult on the progress of such projects.

)

Specifically, the Parties agree to cooperatively pursue an interim water supply of at least
a cumulative amount of 280,000 acre-feet for use in Nevada while long-term
augmentation projects are being pursued. It is anticipated that this interim water supply
will be made available in return for Nevada's funding of the Drop 2 Reservoir' mandated
for constlUction by the Bureau of Reclamation by P.L. 109-432 * 396. Annual recovery
of this interim water supply by Nevada will not exceed 40,000 acre-feet.

In consideration of the Parties' diligent pursuit of long-term augmentation and the
availability of the interim water supply, the Southern Nevada Water Authority (SNW A)
agrees that it will withdraw right-of-way Application No. N-79203 filed with the Bureau
of Land Management on October 1, 2004 for the purpose of developing Permit
No. 58591 issued by the Nevada State Engineer in Ruling No. 4151.

The SNW A will not re-file such right-of-way application or otherwise seek to divert the
water rights available under Permit No. 58591 from the Virgin River prior to 2014 so
long as Nevada is allowed to utilize its pre-Boulder Canyon Project Act Virgin and
Muddy River rights in accordance with the Parties' Recommendation, and the interim
water supply made available to Nevada is reasonably celtain to remain available. The
SNW A will not re-file such right-of-way application or otherwise seek to divert the water
rights available under Permit No. 58591 from the Virgin River after 2014 so long as
diligent pursuit of system augmentation is proceeding to provide or has provided Nevada
an annual supply of 75,000 acre-feet by the year 2020. Prior to re-filing any applications
with the Bureau of Land Management, SNW A and Nevada will consult with the other
Basin States.

This agreement is without prejudice to any Party's claims, rights or interests in the Virgin
or Muddy River systems.

.~J

9

...

.,

.

.

.