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<br />UJ2236 <br /> <br />1.) The federal government and California must affirmatively recognize that interim <br />operating criteria are only temporary. The interim operating criteria will be in effect only during <br />the transition period in which California reduces its dependence upon Colorado River water. <br />Thus, the interim operating criteria must expire by their own terms no later than 2015. However, <br />the interim criteria will also expire at an earlier date if it is established that California has achieved <br />its goal of living within its basic 4.4 maf annual apportionment. <br />2.) California must commit to implementing its 4.4 Plan as quickly as possible. If, <br />during the implementation phase of the Plan, it appears reasonable that the goal can be achieved <br />more quickly than allowed for in the Plan, California must agree to take those steps reasonable to <br />hasten achievement of the goal. <br />The Draft California 4.4 Plan proposed a two phased implementation process. The Six <br />States accept the reasonableness of that approach, but disagree on the proposed time frame for <br />implementation of the second phase. Rather than waiting for the completion of phase 1 core <br />programs to begin phase 2, the Six States believe that phase 2 programs should be initiated by the <br />year 2005. This policy is based on the desire for California to complete the entire reduction to 4.4 <br />mafby the year 2015. This schedule provides six years for planning and environmental <br />compliance, followed by ten years for implementation. <br />3.) For the reasons discussed above, the federal government and California must <br />affirmatively recognize that there is a direct relationship between the continuation of the interim <br />operating criteria and California's continued commitment and implementation of its plan to reduce <br />its Colorado River water use to its legal entitlement of 4.4 maflyr. At any point that there is <br />demonstrated a diminishment or lack of commitment by California to achieve its goal as quickly as <br />is practical, the interim operating criteria must.be terminated. <br />4.) The interim criteria cannot be adopted without a parallel commitment among the <br />Colorado River Basin States and the United States to determine how the River will be operated <br />during periods of water shortage. The interim criteria providing surplus supplies will likely <br />diminish the amount of Colorado River water in storage and thus increase the risk of water <br />. shortages on the river. While California will gain the greatest benefit under surplus criteria, it will <br />place a greater risk of shortages on the other Lower Division States. Therefore, it is inherently <br /> <br />3 <br />