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<br /> <br />The California 4.4 Plan and the Development of the Interim Surplus Guidelines <br /> <br />As shown by Figure V -2, the phased completion of the CAP brought a new reality to the <br />lower river. Prior to the CAP, Arizona's mainstem uses were only in the range of 1.0 to 1.2 mafper <br />year. California has contracts totaling 5.3 maf, but a normal year apportionment of only 4.4. maf per <br />year. California was using (and legally) Arizona's unused apportionment. After the completion of <br />the CAP, there is no unused apportionment for California to use to satisfy its contract demands in <br />excess of 4.4 maf. To further complicate matters, agricultural uses in California have priority for <br />the first 3.85 maf of mainstem water leaving MWD with a safe supply of only 550,000 af/year. <br /> <br />In the early 1990s, basin and federal officials recognized that it was in everyone's best <br />interests to have a plan in place that would move California toward being able to survive on its <br />normal year apportionment of 4.4 maf per year. Thus, it was named the 4.4 Plan. <br /> <br />There are four sources of water for the southern California costal plain, a region that includes <br />Los Angeles, San Diego and about 20 million people: <br /> <br />· Local sources, including groundwater. <br /> <br />· The Owens Valley Aqueduct, built by Los Angeles in the early 1900s. <br /> <br />· The Colorado River Aqueduct. <br /> <br />· California State Water Project. 142 <br /> <br />There are ongoing problems with all four sources. The local supplies have been fully used <br />for over 100 years. Los Angeles has had to limit its diversions from the Owen Valley to restore <br />environmental impacts. The State Water Project takes water from northern California through the <br />San Francisco Bay Delta. There are a myriad of environmental and water quality problems facing <br />this project. The State Water Project is also prone to drought. Finally, the Colorado River Aqueduct <br />has junior rights. Its firm supply is only about 550,000 af/year or less than ~ of its capacity. <br /> <br />Related to the 4.4 plan, the Secretary needed to develop a surplus guidelines for the operation <br />of Lake Mead as required by the 1964 decree. When is the water supply sufficient to satisfy all needs <br />v. when is there still a surplus, but not enough to satisfy all surplus needs? When there is a limited <br />surplus, who gets it? <br /> <br />After a decade or so of meetings, studies, lawsuits, environmental impact statements and <br />various threats from four different Secretaries, 143 a series of agreements was completed in 2003. The <br />package includes: <br /> <br />142The California State Water P"roject (SWP) is actually the Metropolitan Water District's largest water source. The SWP delivers <br />water from northern California to the Metropolitan Water District and numerous other California agencies. I refer the reader to <br />www.publicaffairs.water.ca.gov/swp/. <br /> <br />143See remarks by Secretary Gail Norton, www.doLgov.lsecretarv/speeches/hoovec.html. <br /> <br />Page -61- <br />