CRWUA 2006 Resolutions and Supporting Position Statements

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e CRWUA Resolutions Introduction The membership of the Colorado River Water Users Association annually update and adopt a comprehensive set of resolutions addressing the major issues, factors and externalities that do or can affect the sharing, use and further development of the Basin's water supply. As the Colorado River is one of the most regulated rivers in the country, a complex set of state and federal statutes, regulations and judicial decrees, interstate compacts and an international treaty (collectively referred to as "the Law of the River" (LOR)) govern the allocation storage, release and uses of the River's water. The LOR dictates water resources management decisions made by the 24 million people who depend on the river for their water supply. The CRWUA's resolutions advocate sound public policy positions that maximize beneficial consumptive use of the available water supply while appropriately conserving important environmental resources, promote storage to ameliorate drought conditions, support generation of electrical power to the many hydroelectric plants at the major federally constructed reservoirs;, in. the River Basin. and preserve the rights and prerogatives of the seven states through which the 1200 -mile long river flows. In short, CRWUA's resolutions address local, state, regional, national and international relationships among the many interdependent parties who rely on this internationally critical water supply. These resolutions are addressed to, among others, national, local and state governments and nongovernmental organizations. Collaboration and cooperation to accomplish mutually beneficial environmental restoration and necessary water development actions is encouraged in these resolutions; they emphasize the maintenance of long - established legal frameworks and water management tenets (including satisfaction of contractual water supply rights) affecting water supply certainty and dependability in the arid, desert country through which the River flows. Recognizing the considerable investment in the massive federally constructed but now aging water storage reservoirs (that in the aggregate can capture four times the River's annual flow), extensive conveyance system and numerous power generation and water use facilities (over 50 USBR irrigation projects), CRWUA's resolutions urge appropriate infrastructure maintenance, rehabilitation and O &M expenditures. The positions espoused by CRWUA's resolutions support the continuation of basin -wide water quality improvement programs and environment restoration programs to stretch the finite water supply available in the fastest growing region of the United States. Position statements framing the pertinent issues and justifying the positions and pronouncements accompany each resolution. The full text of each of the position statements and individual resolutions can be quickly and conveniently accessed on the Association's website ( www. erwua .org /res /2006resolutions.]df). The CRWUA strongly encourages all interested persons to consider and follow these policy pronouncements. The adopted resolutions reflect the consensus of the hundreds of diverse water users who gather from across the seven state area (comprising one - twelfth of the United States land surface) each December at the annual CRWUA conference and have been doing so for sixty years. Each of these resolutions are in effect until revised or amended and in all instances are in effect for the coming year until the 2006 annual conference of the Colorado River Water Users Association.