BOARD00543

• Board Meeting Date: 7/28/2003
• Description: CWCB Director's Report
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Memo

Government Highline Roller Dam (Currently in the planning stage) will open up the entire Colorado e
River to endangered fish all the way to the upper end of critical habitat at Rifle, Colorado and possibly
beyond.

Title Transfer Collbran Project to Ute Water and Collbran WCD: Reclamation and the Ute and
Collbran Water Conservancy Districts are initiating an evaluati~n and an environmental analysis ofa
proposal to transfer title and responsibility for the Collbran Project (Vega Reservoir and associated
feeder and delivery canals and the Molina Hydropower plants) located on the Grand Mesa near
Collbran from Reclamation to the Districts.

Reclamation will host public meetings regarding the proppsal on Aug. 6 at 7:00 p.m. at the Collbran-
Plateau Valley School Media Center and on Aug. 7 at 7:00 p.m. at the Mesa State College Campbell
Center, Fletcher Room in Grand Junction.

Homeland Hydro Options, LLC: Homeland Hydro Options, LLC is a firm based in Sedalia has
requested a permit from the Wyoming State Engineer to pump up to 1,000 AF of water annually from
the Green River near Green River, Wyoming and deliver It by rail car to drought stricken communities
in Colorado, Wyoming and Utah. Wyoming has respond~d accordingly noting the Colorado River
Compact issues involved. To our knowledge, Homeland Hydro has made no follow-up contacts in
either Colorado or Utah. ;

Colorado River Reservoirs - 2003 Annual Operating Plan & Imperial Irrigation District v. The
United States: The Secretary oflnterior signed the final 7003 AOP in December 2002. The AOP
states that if California failed to implement the QSA by December 31, 2002 that the interim surplus
provisions (ISG's) will be suspended until the QSA is cOlnpleted. Subsequently, the ISG's have been A
suspended and the Secretary oflnterior issued water orde~s to all parties indicating the reductions that .,
will occur as a result of the failure to complete the QSA. ~MWD, lID, and Nevada will have the
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consumptive use allowed under their water orders reduceli by 415,100 AF, 204,900 AF and 37,171 AF
respectively. As a result, nD filed suit asking a federal judge to block the decision of the Secretary.
On March 18 a preliminary injunction was issued blocking implementation of the Secretary's water
orders. On April 16 after receiving additional briefings, ludge Whelan remanded the case back to the
Department of Interior for a de novo review. ;

On April 28 revised water orders giving the Imperial Irri~ation District the 3,100,000 AF it had
requested and reducing deliveries to the Coachella Valley Water District (CVWD) from 347,000 AF to
238,200 AF and deliveries to MWD from 713,500 AF toi592,500 AF. Had the QSA been in place,
CVWD would have received 347,000 AF and MWD 1,J:~8,600 AF.

On April 29, 2003 a Federal Register notice was issued i\litiating the review on the Imperial Irrigation
District's water order regarding its use of Colorado Rive~ water for calendar year 2003.

The review has been completed by Reclamation and in ailetter to nD dated July 2, Reclamation
estimated that nD's Colorado River water requirements (or irrigation and potable uses for 2003 were
2,824,100 acre-feet at Imperial Dam. This represents a r~duction in nD's water order of275,900 acre-
feet. .

In accordance with the regulations, this determination becomes final in 30-days unless nD submits
objections to Reclamation in writing. IfnD submits written objections, Reclamation has an
opportunity to modify its determination. IfnD is still di~satisfied, they may appeal directly to the A
Secretary of Interior and ultimately seek a final review in court. In any event, Judge Whelan must also .,
lift the injunction. In the interim, Reclamation will continue to deliver water to lID under the current

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