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I I I I I I I "-.,.- 002032 -1" lhroughout Mexico, CNA has designated individual water management areas as .'Districts. It District 014 encompasses the irrigated area in the Mexicali and San Luis Rio Colorado Valleys. The irrigated lands are divided into mod~es, which are defined geographic areas. Although District 014 includes some ejido properties, no water rights are attached to those ejido properties. The modules each have local governing responsibility for water management and operate and maintain the distribution canals that are located within the module. Figure 4 is a CNA map showing the boundaries of the modules. I I I I I J ] I I I J J CNA operates and maintains the main delivery canals and drainage systems as well as the levees and related flood control works that protect the area. CNA receives water orders from each module that are aggregations of the water orders from individual parcels within the module. CNA then delivers the ordered quantity of water to the external boundary of each module and the zanjeros (ditch riders) employed by the module make the water deliveries to the various parcels. The zanjeros are responsive to the local political leadership within their individual, modules. As such, political, social, and peer pressure operate to assure that water is delivered in. a timely manner to the individual parcels that have placed orders for water. The integrity of this system of combined federal and local management haS resulted ~ a set of checks and balances that are quite successful in preventing illegal water use~ If the CNA canal system and delivery ditches within the modules are to be used to deliver water to the Delta ecosystem, it is imperative -that an advocate for delivery of the Delta water be an ictive participant in governance of the participating module or modules. Furthermore, a new Minute would . help to ensure that water dedicated for use in the Delta ecosystem is managed effectively for that purpose. B. The ..Compaction Zone" Historically, some parcels of land distant from the CNA main caIials were irrigated and obtained water rights. This is particularly prevalent at the southern edge of the San Luis Rio Colorado and Mexicali Valleys. In recent years, CNA has operated a program to consolidate the irrigated land base into a more compact area known as the "Compaction Zone." The Compaction Zone in District 014 was created in 1976, to consolidate ,the irrigated areas by establishing an elevation 7.5-m asl (about elevation 25 feet, mean sea level); a1i Lind below this elevation was determined to be out of the Compaction Zone (approximately 10,000 hectares). As part of the consolidation of District 014, 8,000 hectares of land with water rights were condemned. and water users were relocated into and given lands within the Compaction Zone. Additional land remains outside the Compaction Zone south of modules 21 and 22, however, and the owners have the right to receive water. The area outside of the Compaction Zone faces several problems. Generally the land is of poor soil quality and productivity. Because of the' lack of drainage, a pumping system is operated to control the groundwater elevation. 17