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<br />OOtl510 <br /> <br />Executive Summary of Critical Issues <br />Topic - Operation of Yuma Desalting Plant <br /> <br />Last Updated <br />February 1, 2005 <br /> <br />CAP Position <br />The United States must meet, but not exceed, its obligation under the 1944 <br />Treaty with Mexico. About 100,000 acre-feet (af) of Wellton-Mohawk drainage <br />water is being delivered to Mexico each year, but not counted against the U.S. <br />Treaty obligation. That over-delivery harms Arizona water users. To eliminate <br />the over-delivery, the Wellton-Mohawk drain water must either be treated and <br />delivered to Mexico under the Treaty or counted against the Treaty obligation <br />when delivered through the MODE. No other feasible alternative satisfies the <br />U.S. Treaty obligation without unacceptable loss of water to the Basin States, <br />particularly Arizona. <br /> <br />Summary of Issue: <br />The U.S. is required to deliver 1.5 million acre-feet of Colorado River water to <br />Mexico each year under the 1944 Treaty with Mexico. Salinity became a <br />significant international issue in the 1960s with the introduction of Well ton- <br />Mohawk drainage water and reduced flows on the river. The U.S. and Mexico <br />negotiated Minute 242 to the 1944 Treaty, under which the U.S. agreed to <br />effect a ((permanent and definitive solution" to the salinity problem. The U.S. <br />determined that a desalting plant was the only alternative that would solve the <br />salinity problem without unacceptable adverse impact on the Basin States' <br />water supply. The 1974 Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Act authorized <br />construction of the Yuma Desalting Plant (YDP) and made replacement of the <br />YDP reject stream and any water bypassed to Mexico a national obligation. <br /> <br />Except for a few months of testing, the YDP has not been operated since <br />construction was completed in 1992. The U.S. is bypassing 100,000+ af of <br />Wellton-Mohawk drainage water to Mexico each year without credit against the <br />U.S. Treaty obligation. To replace that water, the U.S. must release an equal <br />amount from storage in Lake Mead, which is water lost to the Basin States. <br />This water loss increases the risk of shortage, particularly to the CAP, and <br />must be stopped. <br /> <br />Status as of February 1, 2005 <br />In 2001, CAWCD began talking to Reclamation and in 2002,2003, and 2004 <br />we talked to our Congressional delegation, urging them to get the YDP <br />