MVIC Will Receive Water from Dolores River Call: Cortez Journal

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• (o �-e W11. ;` � a v�c receive w 1 from DLolores . R* fiver call BY STEVE GRAZIER tors does not suggest a limit of JOURNAL STAFF WRITER MVIC's storage operations into non- project facilities. The The issue of releasing water water now stored in McPhee f from McPhee Reservoir into under the present call should Narraguinnep Reservoir, fol- be released to Narraguinnep. lowing a Montezuma Valley In the future, every effort.will Irrigation Company call on the be made by DWCD to avoid the Dolores. River in February, was. necessity to place a call on the resolved at the Dolores Water Dolores River to provide for Conservancy District board of storage. in Narraguinnep. directors Thursday evening — *Accounting for Narraguin- at least for this year. nep operations should be Additionally, DWCD has enhanced to include: Inflows, scheduled a special meeting daily reservoir elevation and May 2 to determine when to releases, so that we (DWCD) begin diverting Dolores Project are assured Narraguinnep is water to full- service users for operating within the limits of irrigation purposes, as the dis'- the fill and refill water rights, triet continues to deal with a and MVIC's 150,400 acre -foot plethora of water issues Water year maximum. brought on by the region's *An analysis of 2002 opera- four-year drought. tions at Narraguinnep should Following an executive ses- be conducted. Sion, the DWCD Board an- *DWCD should meet with pounced and defined its posi MVIC to consider potential tion regarding the MVIC's stor- changes to the allocation tem- age operations for Narra -guin- Plate, specifically to address nep, or the call MVIC placed on how we (DWCD) account for the Dolores River_Feb. 21. water delivered to or released The decision was based on a from Narraguinnep, and other legal interpretation by Bureau issues that have been raised as of Reclamation attorneys that a result of the 2002 drought. MVIC's decision to place the This dialogue and any potential call on the Dolores River was changes would be in prepara -. valid. tion for the 2004 water year. The motion passed. unani- After the motion was read -mousl b th _ and approved, Bureau of Re- y � r e, � Z" , clamation Operations' and four. concerns. *MVIC's storage operations Maintenance Officer Vern Har- under its Narraguinnep water rell announced the reclamation rights are not clearly limited to lawyer's interpretation of the April, May and June in the DWCD /MVIC contract in con - DWCD/MVIC contract, and the Junction with MVIC's call on intent of the contract negotia- See WATER on Page 3A