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<br />AUG~08-1999 FRI 08:08 AM UPPER CO RIVER COMM
<br />9a/BS/1999 14:24 B18-5ii1Q6BS
<br />A1S lltuaSDAY, A~ I",
<br />
<br />FAX NO, 8015319705
<br />COLtRADO RI~ ~
<br />
<br />P, 07/07
<br />r--..IZ. a.,
<br />
<br />..
<br />
<br />LOS 4NGEU!.S n~u
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<br />WATER: A.Truce in Feud Over Colorado River
<br />
<br />Cod.... "- AI
<br />~t\t.. oft.repeated tbrcat &0,.
<br />dll~ U1e l\ate'. Ihare or tM.CoIo-
<br />rado River. which could .-reDdl. the
<br />s~ti!', <<onomy, The CoJerado II
<br />the ~ 1O\Il'e" 01 Imported 'Jatar
<br />to Clutomla.
<br />Oftdet tile tentativl IJr'tleIMDL,
<br />aU thn. ..enetn '\IriI1 accept I..
<br />water than they. eonten<ll they are
<br />~ntitled to, pay more lor InIftICNe-
<br />t\lnl tAU they con\end they
<br />Iho\&ld., and prornIae ftot CO ale I.
<br />eompla1D~ UIa\ \heir 1i",1. IIftI
<br />VlUUq....t.r.
<br />III muLualIlNtment. ~ 01
<br />the pact wtIlllol bI! reI..a unW
<br />the pvemSll, board, oIlhe UIree
<br />Igngtlme Combat..nll take up \he
<br />iatIJe In tile nut _Ir at 10. But for
<br />all three aKeftdes, fteptla__ were
<br />in dllR contad w1t.h boud 11I811I-
<br />bm.
<br />; "Califomla II, in a pert04 of
<br />chanp. caUIe'J bY an era of Umltl
<br />lit the war we acqlllre water," said
<br />PblWp Pact, JlWD boIrd cha~
<br />liall. '-rouy 'n have eame Qft8
<br />IItq dO8ft' 10 facflltaUnl pDIlUve
<br />c:lWI8e. 'l1llI... .. c:ampell CaU-
<br />fftnl. to Bye ttithin ill .Uacatlon of
<br />Colorado River wat.:r."
<br />
<br />Pressure to
<br />End Dispute
<br />. TIle immediate pal jl to pennJt
<br />the sale of water from the water
<br />rich but cuta poor flnMrt of the
<br />IlIlpeNl Valle, CO the attllleftt bu\
<br />thirlt1 SU) DieIO County WaLer
<br />Authority. an MWD membu, 'nIe
<br />MIter wtll be deUvtted to San
<br />DieBo UIro"l1l the Colorado A~
<br />duet. ...hk:h II owned by the MWD.
<br />"llle loapMU...8ftd more im.
<br />polUftt.1OIl of the arr-JIleftt Is to
<br />show tilt fIcknl BOWlIlIDaIt lad
<br />Ut. o1.her * IIt.atelUaat .. OIl
<br />theColondo RMr \hit o.IiIoraIa
<br />tift .tap Itllfttarneelne IeudIztr and
<br />10m to UJt i~ ualllJ alloeIltklft of
<br />lobe river moreftQplly.
<br />"BeaUIe of thl. ~"a""l, \he
<br />,oal or brill,.,., Caltfomla', !.like of
<br />the Coloradv RIver Uftder CClntrol ia
<br />nClW more clearly In Itfht," Babbitt
<br />,.id,
<br />If "'...., offlNJ. III the IIz vUler
<br />statel concur. the dlallCet blcn...
<br />thlt thl f<<kraI pYerft....r. wtU
<br />modify tN ruIft tMt JOWM the
<br />Colorado River, Hoov.r Dim and
<br />EJw IAk. Mad MUrY_ ~ ~
<br />that would _ eaonnoue3y beneft.
<br />c)aI to c.W'onVa,
<br />Orae "' would be tor me 'ederal
<br />pv.mmenllO 1lb8ralIA the defirlt.
<br />tion of whit call1Utut88 a "l\IrJlu,"
<br />that an be uNCI by CaUfomt.
<br />
<br />bIyoad RllDoration 01 U million
<br />ICI'Heet a)ell'. .
<br />AnoIIlet ..auld be &0 allGIr Il\OAl
<br />wUer &0 be dinctad .. Cal.lforni1l
<br />hm lAb IIead. CUrreIlt1" hu-
<br />... ~ tIaou8MI 01 uft!oolest 01
<br />.... ~1\OUIb for !he"""
<br />vI million. of people-llmply
<br />CYaponte \lI!a;IUII UIe IIIlRIl ..tea
<br />wt are put 0( UII CoIcJndo Rtf'wr
<br />Compact GIDDOL qree 01\ !to. that
<br />Water IIhoukIIIt 4lIu1buted.
<br />caJitarn&a bu beieta 1IIiIlI alO,OllO
<br />ICn.fIll!t . JW DICII'e lhaA the U
<br />mlIUoa. bued on anmaJ "'.urpIUl"
<br />dI!cWoaI bY BabbJtL
<br />IbIt BIbbi"'. paUeeee with Call.-
<br />IumII baa JIVWII lhIn ud lie ba.
<br />wvnecI ~ &bat CalUomia
<br />had better tum Ul 1m wttNJl 11.1
<br />a1JcaUoD or race . QUthle1l; wilen.
<br />beca\118 of a laok. or Niafall or a
<br />~ JD die po~caI wIDdI, It II
<br />~ chat the CoIo~do liver
<br />hat M IUIpIIM waler III . ~
<br />year.
<br />'nIat. ~ loomed lirpu tbe
<br />napUaUolII draaed InlO tile arl,
<br />DIOmIq W~ An a OODfer-
<br />mc:e nom at \be IIWD bead-
<br />QUl$rt 1ft downtMta Las AD....
<br />At 3 lolli" uiaba\ll\ed and bMary-
<br />C1cd lit of IU!goUalOn nlache4 a
<br />~.
<br />ul think aD die parUeI ftDalJy
<br />Milled thu CI1Ifamla wu taInr
<br />10 PI)" a bqae prtc:e aM 10 WIre an
<br />the pIlUeI lDdIVldU81l1,"' IfaJet
<br />1Iid. 'The aezt DOnIIIl or dry JeU',
<br />California. oould Iilenll)' be in a
<br />crIIJa IlblaUon."
<br />A YNI' 11'0, aElAlr tGftSIdenblf
<br />ann-twiltlq by tl!eIl.(Jov, Pete
<br />Wilson. !he IAlfJlature appropri-
<br />ated S9 mWion to pave Uw way
<br />lor the SaIl DJelO-!mpeftl1 water
<br />dell,
<br />The cleaI, tM tar,est Ih1ft ,r
<br />.,mulcwoaJ water CO urban '* Irl
<br />die nation, II ~oUIht \0 be key to
<br />the 1ta1e'. WI. tut\ft beeIu. it
<br />proyld.. aft alt.erMtlve to the
<br />11I..-. hlltGrie ":&1 01 roeetlrif
<br />pwth nwdI: mcely &aJWw IIIOre
<br />WIler fJom t!w Colcndo..
<br />Under the dnI, SlnDtefO 'WOuld
<br />buy -.to 3DO.CIOO _NoMt oIYater
<br />a yea, from Imperial to meet
<br />IfCPWth. FlImerl .-owG \&Ie the
<br />IftOftI7 .to IIuIaII CClMelV8t1of\ de-
<br />'Vice8on their land.
<br />But befOR 1M WIlts deal COlIld
<br />be CllmWIIIIII...... a .Ix~dt df..
<br />pllCe ..... lIrIper1al lUld eo..
<br />llb.ll.lIad,fD" ,"\JIG. AlUlOUfh
<br />na& II weU known U 10m. 01h8r
<br />CaUIomIa ..... rklnnllbel, UIe
<br />ImpeJtal-Coach8lla dilpllte NIII U
<br />hac.. the deurt 1Ud\IIl8l,
<br />In DKembllr. Babbitt aMOWlced
<br />proudJ)' that . clal wae at l)and. but .
<br />
<br />ilia opdmlIm ... .hoIt.Ji"ec1 when
<br />the )(WI) enteted tbe fny and laid
<br />that Babbitt w:aa Ultinr tDward tbe
<br />fanner. end ",y from urban
<br />, needI.
<br />III :anftGUIlCIIlB Wedne.,'1
<br />apement, 112)'11I ami HannJpn
<br />prallell the MWD for ~ oft
<br />IIUII\ early Jwd.llIle Jllltitiofta.
<br />""etropollLaft h., comp1etel1
<br />chIrced ita cvIon," Hay.. uJd.
<br />."., ~ to make It bap-
<br />pen .... die key,"
<br />
<br />A Bitter Feud
<br />Dating to 193&
<br />W1Iat makes water dilputel 10
<br />inll8ctable it the kndency 01 all
<br />pIIties Lo believe that they Mve
<br />be8Il aanem by hIJIar)' and
<br />pneraD, IIIlIundemood.
<br />'1 fnnkl.f Cldr!.'\ dUnk we'd tret
<br />to ft_ ft -." Hannipn ae1d.
<br />"At ODe UIIle .. aMther, .l!~ 01
<br />tbe partles aid, 'You ean't trult tilt
<br />othm. W,'N lID tile Ilidt of tk
<br />afllllLr. 1'tIJIwI .J\ouJd SO our -.y
<br />ornoWl)'.' "
<br />'nw MWD-a water whalnaJer
<br />to loea1 qmdet In t. AIlIeI..,
<br />Onnp, Vlfttln, SIn BernardIIlo.
<br />Rift1'llde IIld San DtlllO COUftUtI-
<br />hi. Naenled aftd oppoJed lilt Idea
<br />of member ~cy San meso buy-
<br />IDr d1recU, rtom Imperial,
<br />Ttle MWI) bDlIl'd !wi atlO called
<br />outmoded the 1m ~ment Ilv-
<br />ine imperial. Caai:MUa and hIo
<br />other .qrkllltural...cla 85" of
<br />the mle" Colorada River ailoea-
<br />lion. ~ the baarcll\lrlested in
<br />January that Babbitt tOllllder
<br />changing the Ccrmula. Ole re~tion
<br />1118. '0 Idvene fl'lftl Coachella :and
<br />
<br />Imperial that fteJOtlatJon. stalll!
<br />(or several InOftthl.
<br />COilIchella btllleved It 'lord trick.
<br />by the U.s. OlIputment of Interic
<br />III 1034, and by BabbiU'. pRdICll
<br />lOr Ray Lyman Wilbur. Into taldll.
<br />a blIl:k _at to the 1rnper1a111fl8;
<br />Uon Diltrict In terms or dlY'YJ'iftl u
<br />11M! CaJoradG Rivet. CoaehfUa a1s
<br />eontlnded th., Imperial ha~ I'
<br />lep.1 riBhl to Jell waler Ie Sa!
<br />Diego.
<br />ImperIal, the nIlLloQ'; I-reel
<br />.,ricu!tural irrlrlUon dl.trict
<br />looka at Ute MWD and eo.chellll II
<br />newcomeN to the Colorado Rlvu
<br />imperial, whole water ~h" datI
<br />to 1895, ... puJlI", Wiler out of thl
<br />river lor &met 6eeadt!ll briare IN
<br />COlorado Aq\ie4vet -.rat buill It
<br />briq WIt.<< to COlI"" SoU1.twrr
<br />CallromJa.
<br />ChaI\etnI old altitude., RaNI!.
<br />pn lIid.lllmperaU" If tile Ilate IE
<br />to have "lIMrter a~ In the
<br />nut century" to meeUnc IU Wlter
<br />needI.
<br />JUIt how oUter Colorado River
<br />ILI\eI view the IIr"ftCDenl will l\ol
<br />be known for IOmr till\lI. One IIan
<br />will be lbek RllCUon to JbN)Iu.c
<br />propcal. c\lft'efttJ1 befns dleeUlled,
<br />CO deYelop ~r1ttr1a lor deWmin1llg
<br />whrn tJ\e Color.\do RIver Ita. sur-
<br />pluIWller.
<br />MichHl harre, pnvral counsel
<br />DC thv A.t12Asn; Depu\n!ent of Wa-
<br />ter ReIOW'CC', meted cautJously.
<br />He noted dlat ncn with tile asr--
<br />IIlent. Clllfomia ofnetala are la7iAI
<br />that it wilt be: 15 to 20 Ytars before
<br />OllliforNa can rmuno ils lak" to M
<br />miUion acre-f'~I.
<br />'''nIlt'l klnff of a 1m ride:'
<br />PAm! Uld. "TPtat's dHficull Cor thl!
<br />oUwr Ntes to accept. We'clliEe to
<br />!<<' a morv dedketfod "'fort."
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