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Agenda Item 8g September 24.25,2001 Board Meeting Page4of5 We are reviewing the decree accounting to see if it can provide further information and insight on this issue, 2, If the interim period has ended, is there anot:\1er source of water of suitable quality that can be used to offset the need to operater the Desalter? Reclamation is investigating four alternatives and variations of those alternatives. . Yuma Area Groundwater Recovery (introduced at July meeting), . Off-Stream Storage of excess CAP water . Conservation of Agricultural ~upplies (land fallowing, etc.) . Operation of the Desalter , 3. If there is another suitable water source, ishould that source be available on a permanent basis, or is another temporary mfangement acceptable? Given the developing situation with the Colorado River Delta in Mexico, any alternative to operation of the Desalter 'is likely desirable, At this time, all options should remain on the table. However, a long-term alternative that would allow the Desalter to be pen:nanently shut down seems highly desirable, , 4, Given the desire to restore the Colorado RJiver Delta in Mexico, would it even be politically acceptable to operate the Yuma Desalter if it reduced the amount of water, and decreased the quality, flowing ito the Santa Clara Slough? The water treated by the Desalter would be delivered to the river, as part of the 1944 Treaty obligation and only the very highly saline water of the reject stream from the Desalter would flow to the Slough. Given the tenor of the recent symposium in Mexicali concerning the Colorado River Delta, operation of ~he Desalter does not appear to be politically acceptable. , S, If a suitable water supply can not be lo;cated to offset the need to operate the Desalter and operation of the Desalter is !not acceptable because of the reduction in flows to the Santa Clara Slough that iwould occur, what other options might Colorado and the other basin states find acceptable? See options listed in number 2 above. 6, Could Reclamation release water from iany upstream reservoir without further authorization from the Congress? : This question is still under investigatiQn, However, the use of Painted Rock Reservoir was provided for in the CRIlSCA, Currently, Reclamation is working on th~ assumption that the interim period may be over and that another source of suitable quality water needs to be found. Regardless of the answer to question 1 this is clearly a pru,dent course of action given the Colorado River Delta situation, The focus to date has shifted from mining the groundwater mound located beneath Yuma Valley to include other pptions, However, Arizona's willingness to allow the use of the Yuma groundwater fot only IS-years remains a concern, The Colorado River Delta situation will likely require a long-term solution that does not involve operation ofthe Desalter, other than perhaps in a very limited manner. . . .