Laserfiche WebLink
<br />,08/24/01 12:56 FAX 818 543 4685 <br /> <br />COLORADO RIVER BOARD <br /> <br />141002 <br /> <br />, . <br /> <br />sv-1'l!t OftALll'ORNlA. - THB RBSOU\tCBS ....GBNCY <br />. <br />~ORADO R.IVERBOARD OF CALIFORNIA <br />om....VBNUE, SUIll! 100 , <br />ALE, CALmlRNIA. 1'1203-1035 <br />-''ll) 543-4676 <br />}) 543-4685 FAX <br /> <br />GRAYDAVlS. gol1ernor <br /> <br />@ <br /> <br />August 1,2001 <br /> <br />Robert W. Johnson <br />Regional Director <br />U.S. Bureau of Reclamation <br />Lower Colorado Region <br />P.O. Box 61470 <br />Boulder City, Nevada 89006-1470 <br /> <br />Dear Mr. Johnson: <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />The purpose of this letter is to provide the Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) with Colorado <br />River Board of Califo1'!lia's (Board) comments and concerns associated with a letter Reclamation <br />recently received from several environmental and conservation organizations (dated July 6, 2001) <br />regarding the status of the interim period during which the United States is able to receive credit for <br />Colorado River water being conserved through lining of the flIst 49 miles of the Coachelli Canal. <br />The Board agrees with the primary assertion put forward in the letter by the environmental and <br />conservation organizations that the interim period is not over. However, the Board disagrees with <br />several other points raised in the letter, and felt that it was important to provide Reclamation with <br />the Board's position relative to thes~ isslles. <br /> <br />First, while the Board agrees with environmental organization's position that the "interim period" <br />is still in 'place, the Board disagrees that Reclamation should not be identifying and evaluating <br />potential options and alternatives associated with replacement of the approximately 110,000 acre-feet <br />of annual flows bypassed to the Cienega de Santa Clara via the Main Outlet Drain and Extension <br />from the W",llton-Mohawk Inigation and Drainage District. In fact, the Board urges Reclamation <br />to continue to identify and evaluate all feasible options for replacing the bypass flows, and ensuring <br />that aU stakeholders, including the enviroIimeiita1 community, are kept infoIttled of progress toWard <br />this end. The Board believes that this dialog can be accomplished through the forum of the Colorado- <br />River Management Work Group. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />Second, the. Board believes that the request for ,a Solicitors' Opinion regarding this issue is not <br />warranted. Reclamation must become prepared, when conditions warrant, to either operate the <br />Yuma Desalting Plant or implement measures to replace the. flow in the Main Outlet Drain and <br />Extension. To date, Reclamation is not in a position to do either one. <br /> <br />, <br />, <br />,. <br /> <br />Please feel free to contaot me if you would like to discuss these issues in more detail, or require <br />additional information. <br /> <br />. <br />