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<br />Sun., March lo:i991' ROCky'M~untaln'News
<br />
<br />COLORADO. THE WEST. II
<br />
<br />States battle over water rights, needs
<br />
<br />The river that serves
<br />
<br />seven states
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<br />i 'v farm.~, n.nchers and city... :.:'s.n . t f'._~,:, :.
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<br />
<br />Upper Basin turns up
<br />pressure,fearingloss
<br />to faster-growing
<br />areas downstream
<br />
<br />By Bill Scanlon
<br />Nfl,'5f;1Il'iro1fnllllla/Writ,,.
<br />
<br />AeCore alfalfa fields and swim-
<br />min~ pools, Utes who camped
<br />along the banks of the mighty Col-
<br />oro:ldo must have thought the river
<br />would roar forever.
<br />Even in dry years, the high-
<br />('I)untry snowmelt would deliver
<br />10 million acre-feet across Cotora-
<br />do and Utah. through the Arizona
<br />desert rind the California valleys to
<br />the Gulf of California.
<br />Th::r.1 was before California be-
<br />gl1l ~rowing o:It ill rale of 300,000
<br />people a year, before Arizona
<br />turned ill desert into home for 3.4
<br />milhon people. And it was before
<br />the federal Bureau of Reclamation
<br />hl-'lpcd PilY for reservoirs so farm-
<br />('(s from arid states could flood
<br />,'rops with Colorado River waler.
<br />Thl!' Yf'<lr. 1.5 million acre-feet
<br />of Color<ldo River waler might
<br />re<lch Mexico. None will make it to
<br />lhe Gulf of California,
<br />SIX states served by the river
<br />Will grt their full allotment or as
<br />much as they can use. The sev-
<br />enth, California, again will get
<br />more that it's entitled to.le55 than
<br />It needs.
<br />But these are nervous times for
<br />Colorado, Utah, Wyoming and
<br />New Mexico, states that are grow-
<br />ing more slowly thin the Lower
<br />Basin slates. The Upper Basin
<br />states are turning up the pressure
<br />10 guarantee they won't lose that
<br />water just because they are grow-
<br />ing more slowly than their down-
<br />!>tream brethren.
<br />California is using 800,000
<br />acre.feet more than it's entitled
<br />to. and its needs keep growing
<br />with its population.
<br />Arizona in 1993 will be using
<br />750,000 more acre-feet than it
<br />used in 1990, practically its entire
<br />2.8 million acre-foot allotment.
<br />Nevada. the fastest-growinS state
<br />In the union, will be using its entire
<br />allotment within a decade.
<br />The four Upper Basin states will
<br />shl'lre 5.8 million to 6.3 million
<br />acre-feet in an average flow year,
<br />depending on whose attorneys
<br />rrev<lil.
<br />Colorado IS entitled to about half
<br />the Upper BaSin amount - 2.8
<br />million to 3.1 milion acre-feet.
<br />Colorado farmerB, ranchers and
<br />C'lties are using only 2 million acre-
<br />feeL a year. For now, the state's
<br />:>upply is adequate. but more stor-
<br />aRe will be needed to accommo-
<br />date growth.
<br />If 1993 is an average year. Ari.
<br />lona and California will clamber
<br />for every bit of the water to which
<br />Colorado is entitled but doesn't
<br />use.
<br />Lake Mead in Nevada may have
<br />to be lowered to meet the escalat- out of Lake Powell, which is our
<br />ingdemand. storage bucket, that diminishes
<br />That means Lake Powell in the amount of water we have for
<br />Utah wiU have to be lowered to delivery to our users," said David
<br />equaliJe Lake Mead. Walker, head of Colorado's Water
<br />And that could mean farmers in Conservation Board, "Down the
<br />U11~ ~RdS~~, FOl'l~ ~I'l'i" roa~, wi,h a con<;.~ed' drough'; .
<br />less. . ,,:li,.l, t1};.'~'''.;i':J'ir.~ thaJ.~rF.JJCOI\Cor.rlt::lI' '.'1" .':I~
<br />"If we have to maKe aehvene8 Three weeks 8~0. Colorai!o
<br />
<br />; ,~
<br />
<br />~ t
<br />
<br />.....
<br />--
<br />
<br />.
<br />"H we have to
<br />make deliveries
<br />out of Lake Pow-
<br />ell, which is our
<br />storage bucket,
<br />that diminishes
<br />the amount of
<br />water we have
<br />for delivery.
<br />Down the road,
<br />with a continued
<br />drought, that's a
<br />real concern."
<br />Ootid w......
<br />CoJorodD Wat". CMUtfWJtiQfl
<br />BHrd
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<br />"..y"!"':v::
<br />
<br />"'YO, .
<br />J %~Mt~(i~.i
<br />
<br />.,-
<br />
<br />
<br />Gov. Roy Romer wrote a letter to
<br />California Gov. Pete Wilson. He
<br />suggested that the Upper Basin
<br />could be amicable to the release of
<br />extra water from Lake Mead for
<br />Californians this year. In return,
<br />"California gradually would wean
<br />itself of the extra Colorado River
<br />water. That would reassure the
<br />other states that the water re-
<br />mains theirs, even if they dOll't
<br />need it all for a century.
<br />The 1922 Colorado River com-
<br />pact clearly guarantees each slate
<br />its (ull allotment. But a yf"ar from
<br />now, reapportionment may give
<br />California an extra 13 congress-
<br />men. That's oil lotal of 58 for the
<br />Golden State, one.eighth of the
<br />nation's total. With that much po.
<br />litical muscle, even the grandest
<br />compacts can unravel. sa)' up.
<br />stream state officials.
<br />Dee Hansen, executive director
<br />of Utah's Department of Natural
<br />Resources, wasn't pleased with
<br />Romer's letter.
<br />"Why he chose to send a letter
<br />to Pete Wilson, 1 don't know. We
<br />already had agreed to help out
<br />California and had put together a
<br />proposal," Hansen said.
<br />Utah also is struck by the irony
<br />lhat most California farmers will
<br />get about 10% or 30% of their
<br />normal shares this year, but the
<br />farmers served by the Colorado
<br />will get full 6bare!l.,U C1~ I' .
<br />ene I bael")~:!'!, I 'I~~ 9,,:,'
<br />er ah th~ water ~ d ml Ion
<br />
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<br />ii "i+\~:;~:dK: ."
<br />
<br />'l,OEI Peso
<br />
<br />:"1
<br />'f:1
<br />
<br />urban users need.
<br />"What California wants is more
<br />than their full supply," Hansen
<br />said. "We said, 'That's fine. but we
<br />think there should be some credit
<br />for doing that.' If in the future, we
<br />have to curtail deliveries in Utah,
<br />there ought to be some payback."
<br />David Walker. head of the Colo-
<br />rado Waler Conservation Board.
<br />doesn't wanl the Upper Basin
<br />stales 10 be at risk for the gifts
<br />they give California.
<br />"Give us guarantees that Cali-
<br />forllla Will make it up:' said Walk-
<br />...
<br />California doesn't want to be
<br />held hostage during its most wi-
<br />nerable year, said Jf"rry Zimmer-
<br />mitn. executive director of Califor-
<br />nia's Colorado River Board. Better
<br />that the Department of the Interi-
<br />or declare that there's enough wa-
<br />Ler in the reservoirs to deliver
<br />California the water it needs -
<br />with no strings attached, he said.
<br />California will wean itself of the
<br />extra water, With water conserva-
<br />tion measures much tougher than
<br />Colorado's, Zimmerman said.
<br />Meanwhile, lhe river nows.
<br />One week after Romer offered
<br />his plan, Colorado LL Gov. Mi-
<br />chael Callihan spoke to a gathering
<br />of water engineers in Denver. He
<br />told them the politician who can
<br />solve the Colorado River problem
<br />to ttle .!l.atisl3:ciion p! .even Bta1~" ..
<br />WIU be embra(;ed .. presiden4al1
<br />timber. '
<br />
<br />WATER PRIORmES.
<br />
<br />.....IIterDlflcl..... .......
<br />-'.-
<br />
<br />D......Wall.. .......CoIDNdo
<br />Wat.CanMrratlon _..nIE
<br />
<br />. Wean Call1bmia from Its CM!r"-
<br />dependenCe onthertversoCoIo-
<br />radO can ~ at an erwtrQnmeno
<br />lolly sound poet!.... be''-
<br />the water w\U be theftI far the
<br />M...,
<br />
<br />. Let Clllbniaasune the f1sk
<br />far the extnl wsterlt UICeI.1f1t
<br />drail'lllakeMeed,don'tlbroe
<br />the upper BasIn 5U1te1 to flirt
<br />.."'up'---.......I
<br />...... dtlOS.
<br />
<br />DIe H_nMn, ell:ecutIM director
<br />oIUbl11DepertnlentolR.
<br />-
<br />
<br />. AiheswlthColorado,but
<br />says dlscussklns would h8v8
<br />bElen llTloother without Gov. Roy
<br />Romer's letter to California, of.
<br />teftnt his leadership.
<br />
<br />. Cellfomia l'armers Should give
<br />up some or their Cotorndo River
<br />water bel<<. the Upper Basin
<br />states n.a'I the risk of cutbaCks.
<br />
<br />. Tbe lDwer Basin should con-
<br />trtbute the entire 1.5 million
<br />atttt.teel that Amenca yearrv
<br />0wetI Mellco. oumtDn......
<br />.yeII'the Lower BasIn IItI more'.
<br />thlfthaffOfthtrtver"StlOw.And,
<br />the Iowef U1I:iutaf1eI oontrlbute
<br />an extra 3 mlll60n aa.teet UWIt
<br />tNUpperBBalnf1lNer MeS.
<br />
<br />.._,-"'...
<br />__""'W-
<br />Ail ._ '
<br />
<br />.u.e...._oIIto2.Brnl\.
<br />Ion llae-foolendtlernentes
<br />.... os ........., probably by
<br />1993. when the Central ArIzona
<br />ptqect Isl\lUy on Rne. ThIn. wID
<br />reduce the need \'or pa.mplnll
<br />PlftdWoter end allow lR2er-
<br />ewndauPPlles tobe stored
<br />_.e_,
<br />
<br />. CelIft)m1a hos I'nt aack III the
<br />IJ:lWer 88m ....ter. &0 AItIona
<br />wanta to make sure It establish-
<br />.eclelll'exprectat.lOnforllS
<br />......
<br />
<br />. AggressIve conservation mea-
<br />sures wtn c:onl1nue. lakes must
<br />be NIed wtth trealed waste wa-
<br />ter. not eoundwater.
<br />
<br />Jeny ZIm_man. ell:ecutt.edl-
<br />rwctor of CdlondII', CoIor8tIo
<br />R_........
<br />
<br />.~tesRomer'.oIt8rot
<br />help. becau5e it keeps negotia-
<br />tions between top state ol'I'ldB'"
<br />nor between pr#val. wat8r enW-
<br />preneurs from the other ,lit
<br />states WhO hive tried to hatch
<br />10000deals.
<br />
<br />. Callfomle will wean itaetr 01 the
<br />extra CoIoraOo River water
<br />Ulraugh conservatlon,lJu{Idmg
<br />upstate water projects, linlne:C8-
<br />nals end buylnl WBter f'rom
<br />aouthem California ferrJl8l'1,.
<br />
<br />. Hefp frOm the other .tates INa
<br />year IS weal bUt sI1outdn.t be
<br />tied to klnC-rengB IIgJeemem
<br />lhat WOUld rorge an unfair deal
<br />When Callfomla II moat dnper.
<br />...,
<br />
<br />. l~.j':~l~.Zll: Ii '.:111 .II J' d
<br />"Bf',lj'lI-1,.rr~IlII$Cl1r11ItlQl!'
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