Laserfiche WebLink
<br />001273 <br /> <br />Mead elevations, it is unlikely that much on stream banking will <br />occur for the next 10 years. <br /> <br />The proposed rule is based on the understanding that offstream <br />storage is a beneficial use of Colorado River water. The <br />proposed rule would encourage prudent water management by <br />allowing the Lower Division states to store unused supplies in <br />another state for future use. Actions taken by a storing state <br />to reduce consumptive use of mainstream water, when banked water <br />is requested by a consuming state, may include measures that <br />reduce the consumptive use of water such as land fallowing or <br />other measures. The storing state must certify, subject to <br />confirmation by the Secretary, that actions taken to reduce <br />consumptive use of mainstream water through conservation measures <br />or land fallowing will make water available within the storing <br />State's basic apportionment for use by the consuming State. <br /> <br />National Benefits of Requlatorv Action <br />Authorization of new options for conservation and interstate <br />redemption of Colorado River water credits would benefit water <br />users in the Lower Division States. However, certain benefits <br />accrue outside of the Lower colorado River Basin to the nation as <br />well. These benefits are: <br /> <br />1. Voluntary water transactions can promote economic <br />efficiency gains. These gains accrue to the parties to a <br />given transaction and to the wider regional and national <br />economy. The gains result due to greater flexibility in how <br />and where water is used. <br /> <br />2. Voluntary water transactions offer a cost effective way <br />to increase water supplies without constructing new <br />mainstream facilities such as dams. <br /> <br />3. Stored Colorado River water in Arizona may assist in <br />settling unresolved water claims by Indian communities in <br />Arizona. <br /> <br />4. Voluntary water transactions may stimulate investment <br />and development in conservation technology which is <br />currently economically infeasible given the returns to water <br />in its present use. <br /> <br />stored, on stream, 186,000 acre-feet (af) of Colorado River water <br />which had been conserved by the Palo Verde Irrigation District. <br />Metropolitan planned for this water to be available to meet its <br />future needs; Metropolitan's investment for the water was $26.4 <br />million. All of this water was spilled and lost for use in the <br />United States in the winter of 1997, due to anticipatory flood <br />control releases. <br /> <br />4 <br />