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<br />..Westem',Water
<br />1~~~aISHidl;. nffiO~RpmT
<br />
<br />u.: _ \ "', .......,..'. ! ;;~ ~\ ''F~'iJ.f. ila';i6.'2iiOO
<br />
<br />Calif. wou1d'f0rg6s~lus
<br />. from. Colo. ,. other sta,teS
<br />
<br />:' .
<br />By Susan G....ne
<br />Denver Posl Nattonal Writer
<br />IMPERIAL, CaUl. -'Seven Western'
<br />states. are close to., attagreement . that
<br />, wouId wean California ,off i~ ,depen..
<br />denee on i~ neighbors' ColoradoRiv~
<br />water.-') ;': ' ", ,', .
<br />. The tentative pact, ~.be n....
<br />. nalized this summer, . followsyelt'S :o,f. i
<br />stop-at1d~8tatt. negotiatio~a.,abO~~' th.....~;
<br />Golden state's overreIianCe. on' unUsed;;
<br />or "_Ius" water. ~ includiJig ,:ab!)ttt "
<br />500,000 acre-feet. year ~D1 Coloraaoo; ,
<br />One, 'acre-fool Is aboUt'326,Oot)'lai~;-: \
<br />lona, or enougbto meet th6.~ ()t"a.(
<br />famliy'offour fora year.--u, ,~---
<br />" The plan, discussed Thursday ata wa-
<br />, ter POwWow ilfPhoenix, wouId give Cali-
<br />fornia 15 years to cut its annual river
<br />use from U million aCre-feet to U'mU-
<br />lion acre-fet!t, its legal.sbare. If CiUfor..
<br />nia water districts faUecfto red. the.
<br />gra~ period wouId'end immediatel, aJ1d,~
<br />. surplus...ater' could, be withheld, bY ,up;1
<br />. ,stream states ,..;.;. Colorado, WyoD1lnlt';,
<br />:. New Mexico, Utah; Arizona, and Nevada;;
<br />. Itltheir tougheSt worCfs yet on tIMi.:
<br />subject, u.s. Interior.' Department'ofnZ~
<br />cials warned lawmakers' Wednesdlly
<br />that California Deeds td cut back Imme- '
<br />diately~ .
<br />
<br />''1t~' nOt a free ride. It's oOly'if Call- .
<br />fornia adheres to Its promises oheduc~
<br />ticms ovei' tlDie," saIcl Deputy Interior
<br />SecretilfY D.avid lIayes. "California has
<br />tb ~lI~,/tIu:ougb; or it :wiI1 be at risk of
<br />not::ha~.the watei' supplies it needs
<br />, fOtSouthern CaU;ornia!' " .
<br />,~' '~a~.commeDtscome b a relief to
<br />:'Colorado ,and neighboring states'that '
<br />: long'havepttshed for ~ific'deadlines :
<br />for Cal1fornia to live Within'its ;Water ;
<br />;=:=: is penalties ~~d1t fall .
<br />. .'. up. , . "
<br />;:': . "'1'I*. ~ is whether the (in~or)
<br />secre*Y makes Oalifornla go coldtur-
<br />key, ~.~ _he ~theD1 off to, Betty
<br />, Ford for a while,", Jinl~d whcl
<br />has negotiated water pOliCY for the i~
<br />~atfons of Colorado)Govs. Roy ~
<br />mer abd BUI Owens, said in a recent Jill-
<br />ter\liew. "CertaInly Ws been our positl4D
<br />that the _laws that are in plaCe need to:~
<br />. enfc),ced and (CaUfornia),juat nc!eds'~
<br />fiat.:iO'Ut get Within their IilliitatloliS."~*.
<br />~. -: . :. :'."f . . ......
<br />Of ~alifornia's U million acre:.~
<br />shareLonly 550,000 acre-feet Is eft:
<br />lJlarke,cJ for. th~; d.e~ly populated .fAl(
<br />A~gele~, R~vel'sldejOrange and<S.~
<br />Dlego~untJes -- members, ()fthe.M~
<br />~opol~ta~ Wate!: Diiitrf~t':'The '~~~
<br />. , Please see WATER on1~
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