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OCT-16-98 FR:I " 11:05 UPPER COLORADO R:IVER COMM 000228 P.07 Six State Proposal Straw Man Draft October 13, 1998 Eastside Reservoir, even if Colorado River water has historically been used for similar purposes in Southern California. Further diminishing the amount of water that will be necessarily made available under the ~riteria are those other water sources that are available to Southern California. municipal and industrial water users. The Six States believe that the volume of system surplus water to be made available to MWD must first take into account water unused by higher priority users within California. The Draft 4.4 Plan sets tbrth a schedule which phases down California's overall demand for water as conservation measures are being implemented. What the Draft 4.4 Plan does not indicate is the amount of unused water that may be available from higher priority uses (agriculture) which could keep the Colorado River Aqueduct full without requiring additional surplus deliveries. The Six States fully anticipate and expect that the water use of the higher priority agricultural users will be carefully monitored by the Bureau of Reclamation and to the extent the irrigation districts do not use water within their contract entitlements, that water will be made available to MWD, thereby reducing the need for surplus releases from Lake Mead. ~ Likewise, to the extent that unused Arizona or Nevada basic apportiorunent can be made available to California users under the provisions of Article 2(8)6 of the Decree, that water must also be counted against MWD's needs prior to determining the volume ofsurplus.(Q,\.Q,~ \-':01<'1 {'\\ e~. ,.--,...-- In other words, water made available from th ' t~ surplus cr' ria must be the only remaining source of water available to avert municipal and industrial water shortages in Southern 6