Laserfiche WebLink
<br />Chrisman Appointed as New California Resources Agency Chief: Mike Chrisman, a regional <br />manager for Southern California Edison and current vice president ofthe California Fish and <br />Game Commission, has been appointed by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger as the new <br />Secretary of Resources. Chrisman is a former member of the Central Valley Regional Water . <br />Quality Control Board and a past director of the California Farm Bureau Federation. He <br />previously held positions in the Resources Department, and the state Department of Food and <br />Agriculture under then-Governor Pete Wilson. <br /> <br />Chrisman will assume control of an agency with 15,000 employees and a $5 billion annual <br />budget. <br /> <br />California Water Transfer Imp]emented: On Dec. 18 federal officials gave final clearance to <br />begin the transfer of 10,000 acre-feet of water from the Imperial Irrigation District to the San <br />Diego County Water Authority. This delivery marks the beginning of the largest agriculture to <br />urban water transfer in U.S. history. <br /> <br />The transfer is a cornerstone of the Quantification Settlement Agreement that quantifies water <br />entitlements, implements long-term water transfer and supply programs and ensures California <br />up to 75 years of stability in its Colorado River water supplies. The QSA required that an initial <br />water delivery from the transfer occur before the end of 2003. <br /> <br />Under the lID-San Diego County Water Authority water transfer agreement, the water transfer <br />ramps up from 10,000 acre-feet in 2003 to 200,000 acre-feet annually in year 19 (2022) and each <br />year thereafter. It has an initial term of 45 years and a renewal term of 30 years. The transfer <br />represents a new supply of ]2.9 mi1\ion acre-feet of water for San Diego County over the 75-year <br />life of the agreement. <br /> <br />Gunnison River Basin <br /> <br />Black Canyon Federal Reserved Water Right Case: On Nov. 3, 2003 we asked the Colorado . <br />Supreme Court to review Judge Patrick's order staying the Black Canyon federal reserved rights <br />case. On November 10, the Colorado Supreme Court agreed to review it. The environmental <br />opposers (and the United States) are to file their response by December 26, and our reply is due <br />February 9. In the federal action filed by the environmental opposers, the United States recently <br />filed a motion to dismiss. <br /> <br />Gunnison River Instream Flow Appropriation: Fo1\owing the November hearing on this <br />matter, the water right application was filed in the Division 4 Water Court on Dec. 23,2003 and <br />received case number 4-03CW265. <br /> <br />Water Judge issues Order granting the Upper Gunnison River Water Conservancy District <br />its RICn flows as applied for, up to 1500 cfs: On Dec. 26, 2003, Judge Patrick, Water Judge <br />for Water Division No.4, issued an Order finding, arnong other things: <br /> <br />"The arnount requested is estimated to be 41 % of the available supply. This clearly will reduce <br />junior upstream development, exchanges and trans-mountain diversion.... This Court is <br />reluctant to intervene to usurp the Applicant's determination of the size and scope ofa RIC, <br />subject to the traditional criteria of speculation and waste. Accordingly the Court will not <br />second-guess the Applicant in its requested amount. <br /> <br />Thequestion-reall)'-Iurns_on_whaLweighLor_emphasis-1o _give_ to_language.inJhe.rlefinitional <br />provision (C.R.S. section 37-92-103(10.3)) of 'minimum stream flow'... 'for a reasonable <br />recreation experience in an on the water.' The Court concludes that this language must be read <br />in context with all of the other provisions. To preclude an Applicant from determining precisely <br />the size and scope of any recreational in channel diversion would appear to infringe on the <br />Constitutional right to appropriate." <br /> <br />18 <br />