WSP12542

• File Number: 8282.400
• Description: Colorado River Operations and Accounting - Deliveries to Mexico
• State: CO
• Basin: Colorado Mainstem
• Water Division: 5
• Date: 5/1/2001
• Author: David and Lucille Packard Foundation
• Title: Immediate Options for Augmenting Water Flows to the Colorado River Delta in Mexico - RE-Colorado River-Mexican Delta Issues - 05-01-01
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Report/Study

002037

· Collection and delivery to the Delta of agricultural drainage water from Mexico; and,

· Collection and delivery to the Delta of agricultural drainage water from the United
States..

The above list of possible sources of water for the Delta and is not exhaustive. In addition,
some combinations of the identified sources may be appropriate. However, physical. legal,
economic, institutional, social and environmental problems exist with each of the options. For
example:

. Diversion of water from the New River or the planned Mexicali II Wastewater
Treatment Plant would require major investments in infrastructure and would have
adverse impacts on the elevation and salinity of the Salton Sea, and therefore this
option may take years to accomplish;

. Although there is brackish groundwater in the Delli area, initial analyses suggest that
the geologic characteristics of the aquifers are not expected to allow development of
significant sustainable groundwater supplies for the Delta;

. Redirecting current Bypass Drain flows from the Cienaga to other Delta areas would
sacrifice existing habitat resources.

. Purchase and retirement of agricultural water rights in Mexico or in the United States
can raise problems of social equity unless some countervailing benefit or
compensation is provided to offset the community impacts . of reducing the
agricultural economic base;

. .Collection and delivery of Mexicali Valley agricultural drainage would require major
investmentS in tile drainage for fields and for construction of delivery infrastructure
to transport the water to the Delta area;

. Installation of agricultural efficiency improvements require capital investment and
engineering to demonstrate the quantities of water that would be available without
adversely impacting current groundwater recharge or compromising the interests of
agricultural water users;

. Purchase and transport of water rights from within the United States, especially ifit
requires moving the water across state lines or the International Boundary, implicates
complex legal structures including contractual arrangements among US water users
allocating unused apportionmen~;

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. Agricultural drainage from the Yuma area could be collected and transported to the
wetlands with modest infrastructure investments; however, those supplies are now
delivered to Mexico as a part of the treaty delivery requirements and would require a
new minute and consultation with United States water users to accomplish;

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