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0002J4 A Summary of Current Water Issues October ~ December, 1999 Lynn Herkenho./f, News Specialist, water Information Program Animas-La Plata Project With Rep. Scott Mcinnis' introduction of HR3112, the Animas-La Plata Project continues to be mired in controversy. Opponents charge that the Winters Doctrine has been ignored, while proponents claim the watered-down version of the ori~inal bill must be passed in order to settle Indian water rights claims in a timely manner. Secretary of the Interior Bruce Babbitt has come out in support ofHR3112 and expects action by the upcoming session of Congress. Colorado River The lower Colorado River basin states continue to cautiously watch the outcome of negotiations regarding the California Plan. California has exceeded its annual allotment of 4.4 million acre feet of Colorado River water for years and the situation has worsened with the growth in population in Nevada and Arizona. The plan calls for, among other things, California reducing its dependence upon Colorado water ana still requires federal, state and public approval. As so often happens with water issues, opposition is strong. According to the Albuquerque Journal, Intenor Secretary Bruce Babbitt "... called for a 'burst of creative energy' to balance the needs of the seven states that share Colorado River water." President Clinton, Bruce Babbitt and WIlderness "With one year left in office, President Clinton is using the Western landscape to carve his place in history - with some concerned it will happen at the expense of the intermountain West's residents." And so begins an article in the Grand Junction Daily Sentinel exploring what the Clinton administration, through Secretary of the Interior Bruce Babbitt, has in mind for how public lands in the West and the rest of the nation will be managed. His plans are drawing fire and praise. Clinton has made the Black Canyon of the Gunnison the nation's 55th national park. The Great Sand Dunes National Monument could also be expanded to national park status. Using the Antiquities Act of 1906, Clinton declared 1.7 million acres of southern Utah as the Grand Staircase- Escalante National Monument. Clinton also proposed a ban on construction of new roads in 40 to 60 million acres of national forests, a plan that has met with vociferous opposition. Babbitt and President Clinton have also pushed for the VS Forest Service to consider how uses of the national forests affect the ecological welfare of the landscape. This focus has surfaced in the White River National Forest management plan. And, Babbitt has proposed federal protection for a huge tract of ruins-rich land west of Cortez. Since much of what President Clinton is doing is by executive order as opposed to congressional action, many continue to be leery of both President Clinton and Bruce Babbitt. Water Supply With no appreciable rain since early September and a lower than average snowpack, southwestern Colorado is looking at possible drouglit conditions. Above-normal reservoir storage should help the situation and water officials are hoping Colorado's unpredictable weather will change the outlook. Rio Grande River and silvery minnow "In a development likely to stir up even more argument about the future of New Mexico's water resources, environmental groups have filed a new federal lawsuit seeking to designate yet more of the Rio Grande as habitat for the rare Rio Grande silver minnow." (Santa Fe New Mexican, 12/15/99) Thus is the latest salvo fired in the continuing battle for the Rio Grande. What began as a local squabble over minnow habitat has now escalated into a full-blown war. "Rights on the water that flows through New Mexico are mired in a tangle of claims and counter-claims that some experts say will be argued in court for at least the next half-century." (The Denver Post, 12/26/99) At stake are a way oflife, the potential for growth and the river itself. , S4n ]1UIn RIP Continued from P4Ce 1. . . releases from Navajo are significantly reduced in the winter and the ability to utilize water in the basin could be jeopardized. The Biology Committee has completed the second draft of the research reports describing the findings from seven years of research. There are about 12 reports addressing issues such as fish populations, larval drift, contaminants, non-native fish and other topics. The data from these reports are inconclusive in support of the hypothesis that mimicry of the natural hydrograph is necessary to recover the endangered fish. Some data indicates that the mimicry will help the recovery, some data indicates that the mimicry will hinder the recovery, but most data doesn't indicate anything. The most disappointing finding is that there is little or no recruitment and the eggs and larvae are not able to grow in the river for reasons that are not yet understood. The research does show that the San Juan River is a complex biological system with many factors causing the fish to be endangered. Surfue Water Supply lruJe" for CofDrlJdo Major River ~ Basin Bound;uy ~ SWSI Value D SCALE .4 Abundant Suppl)' ..2 Abo\'e NorrD2l Supply o N= NomW Supply -2 Moderale Drought -4- Sa-ere Drought JanlUlry 1, 2000 The Surface Water Supply Index (SWSI) developed by the Office of the State Engineer and the V.S.D.A. Natural Resources Conservation Service is used as an indicator of mountain-based water supply conditions in the major river basins of the state. It is based on snowpack, reservoir storage and precipitation for When evaluating the effectiveness and efficiency of the the winter period. The SWSI values were computed for each of Program, keep in mind that it is a federal government program the seven major basins for January 1, 2000 and reflect the run by two committees. , conditions during the month of December, 1999. 3