BOARD01164

• Board Meeting Date: 3/21/2006
• Description: CWCB Director's Report
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Memo

Colorado River waters arriving at Imperial Dam and the average annual salinity ofthe Colorado River
waters delivered upstream of Morelos Dam. These values were in compliance, with respect to the US .
Count (115 ppm:t 30 ppm) however, with respect to the Mexican count (121 :t 30 ppm), were I ppm
above the values states in IBWC Minute No. 242

Colorado River Basin SaUnlty Control Program The recent focus of the program has been receiving
new proposals for the USBR Basinwide competitive program and addressing energy driven cost increases
in the USDA on-farm program. The USBR proposal process closes on March 24, we anticipate several
proposals from Colorado water users. Proposals will be evaluated by USBR staff for technical merit and
cost-effectiveness, and then ranked by a group offederal and state employees with knowledge of the
program during early April. It is expected that approximately $5-7 million of work will be awarded
during this round. With respect to the USDA program we have been working with the Colorado
Conservation Board and NRCS to devise a process and funding source to address the large cost increase
in material and construction costs caused by the hike in petroleum prices over the last 6-12 months.
NRCS has announced an energy incentives supplement to the Environmental Quality Incentives Program
(EQIP) to provide short term relief to cost increases for the next year. The eligibility requirements and
procedures are fairly complex, and funding will reduce the volume of new EQIP contracts this year, but
will provide some measure of reliefto farmers with existing contracts under EQIP and the state managed
Parallel Program.

We also just learned that Dennis Alexander, the Assistant State Conservationist for Colorado, with whom
we had worked closely on salinity matters has been promoted and will become the new State
Conservationist for New Mexico. Dennis has been a real asset to the program, and worked diligently to
ensure the program met nationwide goals while protecting the interests of Colorado participants.

Elkhead, Wolford Mountain Enlargements Discussed: A telephone conference was held on March 8
by the Water Supply Projects Committee of the Colorado River Water Conservation District. Among the .
topics discussed was a presentation of Costs and Yields of the Wolford Mountain Reservoir Second
Enlargement, and an Elkhead Reservoir Enlargment Construction Update.

MetropoUtan Water Dlstrtct of Southern CaUfornla (MWD)Gets New General Manager: On Feb
14, Jeffrey Knightlinger was named the new head ofthe MWG cooperative of26 cities and water
agencies that serves 18 million people in six Southern Califomia counties. Knightlinger told reporters
during a conference call that he wanted to focus on the Colorado River and completing a recent seven-
state agreement on sharing that resource, especially in times of drought. The MWD must also look for
growth through better management of regional supplies through conservation and recycling, and in the
future, will look toward ocean desalinization. KnightIinger, general counsel for MWD and a La Canada
Flintridge resident, became the 13th general manager in the agency's 78-year history. He replaces Dennis
B. Underwood, who passed away last November.

Humpback Chub Lawsuit Court Order Issued: On Jan 18, the court issued an order in the case of
Grand Canyon Trust, et aI., vs. Gale Norton, et aI., relating to the complaint that the Recovery Goals for
the Humpback chub violate the ESA and the Administrative Procedure Act. The court order: I) granted
summary judgment for plaintiffs on their claim that defendants violated their non-discretionary duties to
provide time and costs estimates under 16 U.S.C. ~ 1533(f)( I )(B)(iii)( doc 41 )., 2) denied the remainder of
plaintiffs' motion for summary judgment (doc 41); 3) denied defendants' motion for summary judgment
on plaintiffs' time and cost estimates claim (doc. 49); 4) granting summary judgment for defendants on all
other claims (doc. 49), and 5) granting defendants' motion to strike (doc 52). Defendants were ordered to
withdraw the 2002 Recovery Goals. We anticipate the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will fix the
deficiencies and reissue the goals.

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