BOARD00545

• Board Meeting Date: 1/12/1998
• Description: Colorado River Issues - California Water Use Issues
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Memo

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OFFICE OF THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

STATE OF COLOMDO

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Department of Natural Resources
1313 Sherman Street, Room 718
Denver, Colorado 80203
Phone: [phone]
TOD: [phone]
FAX: [phone]

Chuck Lile, Director
CWCB

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DEPARTMENT OF
NATURAL
RESOURCES

Roy Romer
Governor

TO:

James S. Lochhead
Executive Director

Governor Roy Romer
Senator Don Ament
Representative Lewis Entz
CWCB Members
Colorado River Advisory ~ouncil

Ronald W. Catlany
Deputy Director

FROM:

James S. Lochhead

DATE:

January 26, 1998

RE:

California Water Use Issues

I am writing to provide an update on the continuing discussions among the
Basin States, Interior and California concerning the development of a
"California 4.4 Plan," designed to reduce California's dependence on
Colorado River water to its basic 4.4 maf apportionment.

Attached are copies of attaclnnents to the latest draft of the California 4.4
Plan, dated December 17, 1997. I have not attached a copy of the plan itself,
as it is basically unchanged from the last draft I sent you on November 3,
1997. The new plan establishes a timeline for implementation of Phase I of
the Plan -- by 2010 or 2015, California proposes to reduce its nonnal year
water use to 4.6 to 4.7 maf/yr. The second phase would be developed during
the first phase.

Attaclnnent 1 is a water budget that illustrates how phase I would operate.
The first three priorities (agricultural use of 3.85 maf/yr) would be capped,
and water conservation and land fallowing measures would reduce this
amount. This would allow for Metropolitan Water District's fourth and fifth
priorities to pick up the saved water, allowing MWD's aqueduct to divert
more water within California's 4_4 mafi'yr entitlement.

Board of land Commissioners. Division of Minerals & Geology/Geologica! Survey
Oil & Gas Conservation Commission. Colorado Slate Parks. Soil Conservation Board
Water Conservation Board. Division of Waler Resources. Division of Wildlife