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<br />Oct-OS-200! !2:28pm <br /> <br />From-Colorado River Commission ;:\ 3 .-" 9 7024862697 <br />\y ~J Li "t <br /> <br />T-273 P,008/018 F-652 <br /> <br />'- <br /> <br />H. Whereas the Cienega de San1a Clara was created by irrigation retUrn flows from the United Stares <br />and must continue to receive approximately 135,000 acre-feet of water annually with salinity no <br />higher than present levels (2,400 ppm) in order to remain a significant wetland, providing habitat for <br />thollSands of migrating and resident waterfowl and endangered species including the Yuma clapper <br />rail and the desert pupfish; <br /> <br />I. Whereas ~ Colorado River estuary at the northern Gulf of California was historically one of the <br />world's largest and richest desert estuaries and provided important habitat for Gulf fisheries, <br />shorebirds, migratory birds, and the now endangered vaquira porpoise and totoaba, and will require <br />freshwater flows of unknown qt.UlIl4ties to restore its ecosystem; <br /> <br />J. Whereas the numerous brackish wetlands that remain throughout the historic delta have not been <br />well srodied, but provide habitat for thousands of migrating and resident waterfowl, and rely on an <br />unknown quantity of agricultural drainage from the smrmmding San Luis and MeXicali agricultural <br />valleys;' ' <br /> <br />K. Whereas several actions recently UikeiJ. oiproposed witfiiii the Omted Stares threaten the eKlStence <br />of the Colorado River delta's ecosystems. including the use ofwarer under the Interim. Smplus <br />Guidelines and the development of off-stream banking, both of which will eliminate flood releases <br />from Hoover Dam and devastate the native riparian corridor below Morelos Dam, and the <br />operation of the Yuma Desalting Plant, which will destroy the Cienega de Santa Clara; <br /> <br />L. Whereas smface water and groundwater are inseparable in the Colorado River watershed, and <br />both water quantity and water quality are integral to ecosystem health; <br /> <br />M. Whereas the human communities in and around the Colorndo River delta are impacted by the <br />decisions of agencies both near and far that manage the River and its resources; <br /> <br />N. Whereas the participation of informed stakeholders promotes the development of sound, <br />acceptable restoration alternatives. and Mexico and the United States have to date implemented <br />Minute 306 with participation from Colorado River stakeholders; <br /> <br />The lmdersigned Mexican and United Stfltes conservation organizations do hereby declare that their <br />governments should consider and adopt the following recommendations in a collaboration to restOre the <br />Colorado River-delta ecosystems: <br /> <br />1. The United States and Mexico must commit to dedicating freshwater for the purpose of protecting <br />and restoring the ecosystems of Ihe Colorado River delta, before they are further degraded. <br /> <br />2. The United States and Mexico must adopt the precautionary principle and integrate it, based on the <br />best available science, into existing programs. T},e precautionary principle would dictate that neither <br />