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<br />uOQ3~9 <br /> <br />Wash Dam, <br />and/or the <br />construction of <br />new regulatory <br />reservoirs along <br />the All- <br />American Canal <br />and the <br />Wellton- <br />Mohawk Canal. <br />In recent years <br />the amount of <br />water loss has been as high as 337,000 acre feet (in 2000), due to localized <br />rain storms that caused side inflows to the river and reduced water orders. <br />Efforts are underway to significantly reduce that volume. The current forecast <br />estimate for the year 2005 is about 106,000 acre feet. If the United States <br />were to fund the construction of the physical works necessary to control and <br />salvage these deliveries that are in excess of the Mexican water orders, it may <br />be possible that this water could be used as an offset or credit against the <br />continuation of the MODE bypass flow or YDP reject stream which have been <br />identified as Federal obligations under the Salinity Control Act. <br /> <br />2. Land fallowing and forbearance options - Land fallowing involves payment <br />to agricultural water users to reduce their use of Colorado River water on an <br />annual basis. The resulting volume of water that is not consumed by crops <br />(estimated to average between 4.5-5.0 acre feet per acre in the U.S. and 1.5- <br />3.0 acre feet per acre in Mexico) is then credited to offset the obligation ofthe <br />bypass flow. Land fallowing and forbearance can occur on an annual basis as <br />needed or can be based on a long term option. Short term options may be <br />more applicable for use in times of shortage as "dry year options." <br /> <br />a. Land fallowing in the U.S. has different implications if the fallowing is <br />pursuant to contract rights, present perfected rights, or Indian reserved <br />rights. <br /> <br />b. Land fallowing in the U.S. may not be effective unless it is accompanied <br />by a forbearance agreement by the relevant state or water junior water user <br />who must agree not to order the unused water. <br /> <br />c. Land fallowing in Mexico may not be effective unless the Mexican <br />government agrees not to place an order for the unused water. This may <br />require an additional minute to the 1944 Treaty. <br /> <br />3 . Water rights purchase and retirement - Water rights purchase and retirement <br />is similar to the land fallowing options described above, but involves a <br />permanent commitment to reduce water demand rather than a temporary <br />commitment. Examples of permanent commitments to reduce demand <br />include the water rights purchased from Yuma Mesa IDD for the Ak Chin <br /> <br /> <br />Recommendations of the YDP/Cienega Workgroup <br /> <br />12 <br />