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<br />AUG:06-1999 FRI 08:04 AN UPPER CO RIVER CONN FAX NO. 8015319705 <br />'. ''''The Salt Lake Tribune -- NeAeement May End Colorado River Waevars <br /> <br /> <br />P. 04/07 <br /> <br />Page 1 of2 <br /> <br />'W!:'Wh~ <br />a <br /> <br />fPlC~Tt:A-Git -tICRlO (jTAH ~i"6~1S. (.\P1k!OH ~U;;N~% ~C~DJC~ CW{UGlJT;~ nr.~qVr1i) <br /> <br />.u_. ... '_40 ,.,"._- <br /> <br />!h~nday, August S, 199~ <br /> <br />New Agreement May End Colorado River <br />Water Wars <br /> <br />THE ASSOCIATED PRESS <br /> <br />SACRAMENTO. Calif. -- An agreement has been reached in a <br />decades-old squabble in Southern California over the use of Colorado <br />River water, state and federal officials said Wednesday. <br />The accord, which needs approval from an array of state. local and <br />federal boards, involves the Metropolitan Water District (MWD) of <br />Southern California and two rural agricultural water districts. the <br />Coachetla Valley Water District (CVWD) and the Imperial Irrigation <br />District (liD). <br />The agreement was aMounced by U.S. Interior Secretary Bruce <br />Babbitt. <br />liAs water becomes scarcer and scarcer, and growth happens, it's <br />important to remove barriers to enable water to go where it need to <br />goes, It said David Hayes, an aide to Babbitt. "That's what has <br />happened here, II <br />If the agreement is approved, it would come as welcome news to <br />Utah and other states that depend on the Colorado River as a water <br />source. said Wayne Cook, director of the Upper Colorado River <br />Commission, based in Salt Lake City. <br />The so-called Upper Colorado River Basin states see their long- <br />term rights to the Colorado River threatened by California's failure to <br />live within its allotted share of the river. <br />The MWD, the huge Los Angeles-based water wholesaler that <br />services dozens of water agencies throughout southern California, and <br />the two irrigation districts have been embroiled for years in a dispute <br />over the division of that state's share of the Colorado. <br />Basically, the MWD believes the farmers have squandered <br />enormous amounts of water through inefficient irrigation, while the <br />rural districts believe the MWD has unfairly attempted to take more <br />than its share of water for its ever-thirsty urban areas. <br />Babbitt earlier told California to cut its dependence on the Colorado <br />River or face a reduction in its yearly take from that watelWay, the key <br />water source for the Southwest. <br />Wednesday's agreement - which provides a framework for the <br />Southern California districts to divide and distribute the state's share of <br />the river -- is viewed as a critical step in California's attempt to reduce <br />its draw on the river. <br /> <br />... ., <br /> <br />t. _.,. . _ ... '^ft^~ 1 nl'\n/__",:__ .../1 ~(\O 1 1.,_ <br /> <br />~ <br />- <br />Email <br />This <br />Article <br /> <br />RIl\IQQ <br />