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<br />~~ <br />~ <br />~ <br /> <br />.~ <br />to: <br /> <br />h <br /> <br />S. 1211 authorizes additional measures to carry out the control of the Colorado River's salinity, upstream <br />of Imperial Dam. The bill amends the Act to reauthorize the funding of the competitive Basin-wide program for <br />salinity and increases the authorization from $75 million to $175 million. _ <br /> <br />For more information see httv://thomas.loc.gov/cgi- <br />bin/bdquerv/D?d 1 06:3 :./temp/-bdEUZK:: Ilbss/dl 06querv .htmll. <br /> <br />Colorado Canyons of the Ancients: U.S. Rep. McInnis's bill, H.R.4275, establishing a Colorado <br />Canyons National Conservation Area and the Black Ridge Canyons Wilderness became Public Law No: 106- <br />353 on Oct. 24. The law designates the Colorado Canyons National Conservation Area, comprising <br />approximately 122,300 acres, and the Black Ridge Canyons Wilderness Area, comprising approximately 75,550 <br />acres, in western Colorado and eastern Utah. The Colorado River is specifically excluded (up to the 100-year <br />high water mark) from both the Wilderness and National Conservation Area designations. <br /> <br />For more information see httv://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquerv/D?dI06: I 5:./temp/-bdfi 84:: <br /> <br />Colorado River Delta Meeting: On October 11,2000 Deputy Secretary of Interior, David Hayes hosted <br />a meeting to discuss implementation of the Joint Declaration to Enhance Cooperation in the Colorado River <br />Delta. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss various approaches to addressing the Delta's needs. <br /> <br />Colorado River Annual Operating Plan: The final consultation meeting for the 2001 AOP is presently <br />scheduled for Dec. 1 in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is highly likely that the Secretary of Interior will declare a <br />surplus in 2001 of about 630,000 AF. This would be a limited surplus for direct delivery domestic purposes, no <br />groundwater banking of surplus or surplus deliveries to Mexico would be included. Because interim surplus <br />criteria have not yet been adopted, this runs contrary to the Board's position. <br /> <br />Colorado River Interim Surplus Criteria: It is Reclamation's plan to release the final Environmental <br />Impact Statement during the first week of December 2000. It is anticipated that the notice from the .- <br />Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will be issued about Dec. 8, 2000. Following the notice from EPA'- <br />the Secretary of Interior can issue a Record of Decision 30 days thereafter. Therefore, interim criteria will not <br />be in place until mid January 2001, which makes it difficult to rely on them for the 2001 AOP. We have <br />requested the revised model runs reflecting updated depletion schedules among other things along with the final <br />EIS. <br /> <br />Glen Canyon Adaptive Management: The Adaptive Management Workgroup - Technical Workgroup <br />met in Phoenix on Sept. 20-21 and again on Nov. 8-9. We continue to work on the strategic plan that we hope <br />to have available for the FACA-Adaptive Management Workgroup (AMWG) to review and provide prelimjnary <br />comments on at the January 11-12, 2001 meeting. We are also in the process of reviewing the GCMRC Fiscal <br />Year 2002 Monitoring and Science Plan, which may require some revisions after the current strategic plan is <br />adopted. At the November meeting we were also briefed about energy problems in southern California that <br />when accompanied by dry year hydrology and operating restrictions to benefit endangered fish species created <br />significant cash flow problems for the Western Area Power Administration. <br /> <br />Contracts A warded to Construct Canal Check Structures: On Oct. 27 Reclamation announced the <br />award of a $3 million dollar contract to Mays Concrete, Incorporated of Grand Junction. The work they will do <br />consists of constructing seven check structures (small adjustable dams) in the Government Highline Canal. <br />These check structures will help the Orand Valley Water Users Association maintain higher water elevations in <br />the canal during the August through October irrigation season when the demand for irrigation water has <br />decreased. This will result in less water being diverted from the Colorado River. The saved water will remain in <br />the river to improve habitat conditions that would help in the recovery of the endangered Colorado Pikeminw <br />and the razorback sucker. Construction is expected to be completed March 20, 2001. <br /> <br />10 <br />