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Last modified
7/14/2011 10:11:26 AM
Creation date
9/30/2006 10:09:44 PM
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Publications
Year
2001
Title
Layprson's Guide to the Colorado River
CWCB Section
Interstate & Federal
Author
California Water Education Foundation
Description
Layprson's Guide to the Colorado River
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<br /> <br />has replaced saline irrigation drainage waters from <br />the Welton-Mohawk Irrigation District that formerly <br />flowed to Mexico. This saline drainage water is being <br />bypassed to the Santa Clara Slough. Consequently. <br />the Bureau says the salinity requirements of the <br />water being delivered to Mexico are being met <br />without operating the desalting plant. <br /> <br />The basin states say that eventually. there will not <br />be enough water left in the river to provide natural <br /> <br />rmm <br /> <br />Without 49 mainstem and tributary dams restricting <br />its flow, the Colorado River would, during spring <br />snowmelt. weave its way through the southwest and <br />terminate in the Gulf of Calitomia. When the <br />Colorado River Compact was developed. the <br />negotiators specifically chose not to address Mexico <br />at the time. The 1922 Compact was an interstate <br />agreement and the United States Constitution <br />prohibited the states from entering into agreements <br />with foreign powers. Instead. the question was left <br />open.ended in the event a federal resolution was <br />made later. The Mexican Water Treaty of 1944 <br />committed the U.S. to deliver 1.5 million acre.feet of <br />water to Mexico on an annual basis, plus an addi- <br />tional 200.000 acre-feet under surplus conditions. <br /> <br />In 1996. 1997 and 1998, the secretary of the Interior <br />declared surplus water conditions existed and <br />200.000 acre-feet of surplus water was delivered to <br />Mexico. Releases from Lake Mead are used to meet <br />water orders by Mexico most of the time. If there is <br />a deficiency in meeting the water deliveries to <br />Mexico. the Upper Basin supplies the water for <br />one-half of the deficiency. If and when the Upper <br />Basin consumes its full apportionment, the federal <br />government will have to determine how it will meet <br />its treaty obligations. <br /> <br />As a result of the surplus flows over the border in <br />the past decade, over 150,000 acres of wetland/ <br /> <br />... ~ -... <br /> <br />r,;~",' ""1!: ,-.... ~ <br />?.' <br /> <br />r"::-,"\". <br /> <br />dilution of salts. It is unclear whether the desalina- <br />tion plant will then become operational or other <br />salinity control measures will be adopted to fulfill the <br />nation's water quality obligation with Mexico. <br /> <br />Annual costs to Lower Basin states, because of high <br />salinity levels. are rapidly approaching the $1 billion <br />mark. As salinity levels remain high, smaller crop <br />harvests are realized and higher costs to municipali- <br />ties for tap water treatment will continue to rise. <br /> <br />riparian habitat (once a natural alluvial plain of the <br />Colorado River) have been rejuvenated. A separate <br />15.000 acre wetland. the Cienega de Santa Clara. <br />has been created from brackish agricultural flows <br />from the U.S. and Mexico. Endangered species, such <br />as the southwestern willow flycatcher, have been <br />found in large numbers in the wetland habitat south <br />of the border. Environmental groups have been <br />pushing governments on both sides of the border to <br />designate annual flows to maintain the habitat <br />created by these flows. Such groups were <br />unsuccessful in convincing state and federal <br />authorities to delegate some of the surplus <br />flows under the Interim Surplus Guidelines for the <br />delta. In 2000. a number of the groups filed suit to <br />obtain annual flows for the delta claiming that <br />ecosystems. and the responsibility to protect <br />endangered species, do not stop because of inter- <br />national boundaries. <br /> <br />Humans also have been affected by the reduced <br />Colorado River flows. Families. like those of the <br />Cocopah Indians who have lived on the Mexico side <br />of the border for 2.000 years. say the loss of the <br />water which at one time flowed freely through their <br />homeland has been devastating. Because the <br />Colorado River no longer flows as it once did. <br />Cocopah Indians have had to curtail farming and <br />fishing and even have had their water brought to <br />them in tanker trucks. <br /> <br />- -. <br /> <br />$I <br /> <br />;m" <br />-'~ <br /> <br />--i~"':: ij <br /> <br />'~ ~""'7.~ <br /> <br />, <br /> <br />,. <br />ltJ' <br /> <br />~ <br /> <br />In recent years, the <br />Colorado Ri\'C'r Della has <br />become atopic of intense <br />discussion and debate. <br /> <br />-- <br /> <br />"1m '. ,; !JiiI' <br /> <br /> <br />~1I!llI <br />- <br />- <br /> <br />id,: <br />.;. <br /> <br />- <br /> <br />~ <br /> <br />~ <br /> <br />..~ <br /> <br />.il <br /> <br />" <br /> <br />~. <br /> <br />17 <br />~. <br /> <br />~ <br />,. . <br />'-4 <br /> <br />~ <br /> <br />-'"" <br />
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