My WebLink
|
Help
|
About
|
Sign Out
Home
Browse
Search
BOARD00345
CWCB
>
Board Meetings
>
Backfile
>
1-1000
>
BOARD00345
Metadata
Thumbnails
Annotations
Entry Properties
Last modified
8/16/2009 2:49:12 PM
Creation date
10/4/2006 6:36:29 AM
Metadata
Fields
Template:
Board Meetings
Board Meeting Date
11/19/2001
Description
ISF Section - Proposed ISF Recommendations for 2002
Board Meetings - Doc Type
Memo
There are no annotations on this page.
Document management portal powered by Laserfiche WebLink 9 © 1998-2015
Laserfiche.
All rights reserved.
/
17
PDF
Print
Pages to print
Enter page numbers and/or page ranges separated by commas. For example, 1,3,5-12.
After downloading, print the document using a PDF reader (e.g. Adobe Reader).
Show annotations
View images
View plain text
<br />Pitt ct aI, August 2001. Replacing the Bypass Flow On The Colorado River <br /> <br />The combination of increased salinity and decreased flows would have irreparably devastating <br />effects on the Cienega de Santa Clara. The ecosystem will be destroyed as its water source is <br />reduced by 75% and salinity increases dramatically. As previously discussed, the Cienega de <br />Santa Clara provides important habitat to significant bird populations, and harbors two <br />endangered species, the Yuma clapper rail, and the desert pupfish. Harm to the Cienega's <br />ecosystem will also impact local residents, who hunt and fish as well as generating income by <br />leading tours through the wetland. <br /> <br />3. OFFSTREAM STORAGE OF COLORADO RIVER FLOOD FLOWS <br /> <br />BOR has identified offstream storage of Colorado River water as another alternative for <br />replacing the bypass flow, and has discussed the idea with the Arizona Water Banking Authority <br />(AWBA).54 BOR claims authority to store water under the existing U.S. - Central Arizona <br />Water Conservation District (CA WCD) settlement. Arizona has agreed to let BOR pay to store <br />unused Central Arizona Project (CAP) water in exchange for the right to use this water to replace <br />the bypass flow.55 At present, Arizona chooses not to store all unused CAP water offstream <br />because costs outweigh the benefits. Because the terms of such an agreement between BOR and <br />A WBNCA WCD are under negotiation, the economics of offstream storage are unknown. <br />However, a recent deal between Nevada and Arizona will likely establish a storage price of $200 <br />per acre-foot plus an additional fee to recover the water. 56 <br /> <br />Environmental Impacts of Offstream Storage <br />Any increase in storage on the Colorado River will diminish the probability of flood control <br />releases from Glen Canyon Dam, and will consequently diminish flows to the Colorado River <br />delta. The BOR Record of Decision on the Interim Surplus Guidelines, signed January 16,2001, <br />will result in considerable reduction of flowS to the delta in order to supply California with <br />"surplus" water. The Environmental Impact Statement for the Interim Surplus Guidelines was <br />flawed in its failure to analyze the impacts of reduced flows to the delta in Mexico. Nine <br />environmental organizations and more than 8,000 individuals submitted comments to BOR <br />objecting to the environmental damage to the Colorado River delta expected upon <br />implementation of the Interim Surplus Guidelines.57 <br /> <br />Off stream storage of Colorado River water wilI decrease the prohability offlows to the Colorado <br />River delta, and will result in hann to the native riparian ecosystem on the River's mainstem.58 <br />The forests that line the banks of the Colorado River below Morelos Dam are comprised of <br />native cottonwood and willow trees that require periodic flooding. These forests are a critical <br />link for migrating songbirds in the Pacific flyway, including the Southwestern willow flycatcher <br /> <br />" U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, handout at Las Vegas briefing 5/8/0 I, <br />" John Redlinger, Deputy Area Manager, Boulder Canyon Operations Office, Bureau of Reclamation, personal <br />communication 8/110 I. <br />"Id. <br />57 U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, Record of Decision, Colorado River Interim Surplus Guidelines Final <br />Environmental Impact Statement, January 16, 2001 , <br />58 For more infonrtation about the Colorado River delta ecosystems, see Luecke et aI., supra note 13. <br /> <br />13 <br />
The URL can be used to link to this page
Your browser does not support the video tag.