CRWUA 2006 Resolutions and Supporting Position Statements

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The Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Act identified the YDP as the only feasible method for treating the Wellton- Mohawk drainage water so that it could be discharged to the Colorado River and charged against Mexico's treaty entitlement. The Colorado River Basin suffered through a prolonged drought of historic proportions during the 2000 through 2004 period and the concurrent drawdown of reservoir storage demonstrated the need for additional management actions to conserve reservoir storage. Each year that passes without the YDP having been operated reduces the amount of water stored in the Colorado River reservoirs by approximately 100,000 acre -feet, thereby increasing the risk of water supply shortages to the Basin States. Resolution No. 2006 -20 - -- MAINTAINING WATER AND POWER INFRASTRUCTURE ON The Colorado River Water Users Association opposes the removal, bypass or breaching of federal dams in the Colorado River Basin and the restriction or abrogation of states' rights to manage or control their water resources. Position Statement - -- Maintaining Water and Power Infrastructure on the Colorado River In Compliance With State Law - -- (Resolution No. 2006 -20) Federal dams and their reservoirs in the Colorado River Basin provide significant regional and national benefits, including the following: • Municipal, agricultural, and industrial water supply • Clean, renewable hydroelectric power • Flood control • Navigation • Recreation and fishery benefits • Environmental resource restoration Proposals to breach or remove federal dams in the Colorado River Basin pose an alarming challenge to water supply, water rights, water quality and power production for millions of consumers. Such proposals already have been advanced in several other major river systems and implementation of such proposals with respect to federal dams in the Colorado River Basin would pose immediate threats to the Colorado River Basin states' water project infrastructure. In addition, removal of federal dams in the Colorado River Basin would negatively impact the federal debt repayment obligation associated with such dams. These proposals should be rejected. The vast benefits of the Colorado River Basin's federal multipurpose water projects are too valuable to discard. Due to the significant local, regional and national benefits provided by federal dams in the Colorado River Basin and the waters associated with such dams, the Colorado River Water Users Association opposes the following: • Removal, bypass or breaching of federal dams in the Colorado River Basin, and • Restricting or abrogating in any way a state's rights to manage or control its water resources in accordance with the Colorado River Compact, the Upper Colorado River Basin Compact, state and federal law. Resolution No. 2006 -21 - -- SOURCE WATER PROTECTION The Colorado River Water Users Association supports the rural water grassroots source water protection initiative funded by Congress through the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and urges Congress to expand this initiative to all states. Position Statement - -- Source Water Protection - -- (Resolution No. 2006 -21) 22