Western Water Jan/Feb 2006

• Year: 2006
• Title: Western Water
• Author: Water Education Foundation
• Description: Facing the Future: Modifying management of the Colorado River
• Publications - Doc Type: Other

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water elevation at Lake Mead drops
to 1,075 feet. That shortage would
increase by another 100,000 acre -feet
at 1,050 and 1,025 feet, respectively.
And the Interior secretary will be
called in for "reconsultation" if Mead's
elevation falls below 1,000 feet. When
the level drops below 1,025 feet, all
seven states would be forced to meet
with the Secretary of Interior to reach
a solution.
The lowest point for Lake Mead
since the drought began — so far —
came at the end of July 2004 when
the lake's elevation had dropped to
1,125.73 feet.
In addition, the states recom-
mended an approach to establishing
and implementing shortage amounts
for the Republic of Mexico. Under
terms of the Mexican Water Treaty of
1944, the U.S. committed to deliver
1.5 million acre -feet of water to
Mexico on an annual basis, plus an
additional 200,000 acre -feet under
surplus conditions. The treaty also
provides that in "the event of extraor-
dinary drought or serious accident to
the irrigation system in the United
States, thereby making it difficult for
the United States to deliver the
guaranteed quantity of 1.5 million
acre -feet a year," the water allotted to
Mexico will be reduced in the same
proportion as consumptive uses in the
United States are reduced. But the
term "extraordinary drought" has not
been defined.
The states' preliminary proposal is
that "the total quantity of water that
will not be released or delivered to
Mexico shall be based on Lower Basin
water deliveries during normal water
supply conditions. The proportion of
the shortage that shall be borne by
Mexico will be 17 percent." Arizona
and Nevada, in turn, would share
shortages based on a shortage sharing
agreement; if one is not negotiated,
the shortage would then be based upon
the existing legal framework.
In their Feb. 3 letter to Norton,
the seven states requested that Interior
initiate consultation with the U.S.
section of the International Boundary
and Water Commission and the State
Department on implementation of
treaty shortages. "We further request
the opportunity to consult with
Interior and State Department officials
on this issue as the federal government
formulates its approach to any bina-
tional consultation with Mexico," the
letter reads.
As the Basin states' representa-
tives worked to reach middle ground
on these contentious issues, a coalition
of seven environmental groups
developed its own proposal for Lower
Basin, drought - related shortages.
Released in July 2005, the "Conserva-
tion Before Shortage Policy" promotes
small - scale, compensated reductions in
water use by willing water users.
"The proposal is designed to
increase flexibility in the system and
to delay the onset of a shortage," said
Michael Cohen, senior associate at the
Pacific Institute, speaking at the
Foundation's September symposium.
"People have greater predictability as
to when the supplies will be available
for use, and it doesn't put all the
pressure on one particular user or on
the most junior user; essentially it is
[designed] to share shortages in the
Lower Basin and to reduce the impact
on urban users."
WESTERN WATER