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<br />," <br /> <br />agricultural agencies. We stand ready to assis~~ and if necessary to assume <br />leadership~ in clarifYing the relative rights of the parties~ as a precondition to water <br />marketing. <br /> <br />Each of the preceding matters is an initiative that I intend to get underway <br />beginning in the next calendar year. <br /> <br />In reflecting on the controversy generat~d by the Seven Party Agreement, I <br />have noted striking parallels in the circumstan<;e of several of the entities who <br />depend on the water of the Colorado-River: a $ituationcofuncertainty about ability to <br />meet needs as a result of being in a subordinate, and potentially perilous, position. <br />In a broad sense, Coachella's posture vis-A-vis!IID is like San Diego's vis-A-vis other <br />Met customers, like the Met as to the agriculttiral contractors, and like that ofthe <br />Central Arizona Project in relation to the otheriLower Basin states. Most of these <br />matters will be taken up in the fullness of time! Each has its own history, and its <br />own equities. Still, we need to keep in mind th~t in the long term the great issue on <br />the River is providing confidence to every stakeholder that its reasonable needs can <br />be met in good times and bad, without the risk iof drastic measures. <br /> <br />There are several other issues that need ~ttention on our shorter term agenda, <br />and I now want to turn to them. <br /> <br />Sw:plus Criteria <br /> <br />The time is ripe for the formulation of ctiteria that will govern the declaration <br />of surplus conditions. Surplus guidelines will provide a basis for Lower Basin water <br />users to rely upon in assessing the future avail~bility of Colorado River water and in <br />making appropriate plans for meeting water ne~ds. I shall direct the Bureau of <br />Reclamation to initiate the development of guidelines for annual decisions regarding <br />surplus determinations in operating the River. <br /> <br />It is clear that surplus water will not be ~va,ilable indefinitely to meet demands <br />beyond the 4.4. million acre-foot entitlement of California. The prospect oflong- <br />term reliance on such water by users in Califo~a is a matter of great concern to <br />other states in both basins. The effective implementation of surplus criteria depends <br />on the presence of a well-conceived strategy within California designed to cope with <br />its long term demands on the River. I shall therefore temporarily defer making any <br /> <br />6 <br />