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<br />002603 <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />, <br /> <br />Colorado River Ooerations <br /> <br />Meeting With Resources Agency Executive Staff, June 2. 2004 <br /> <br />A briefing of The Resources Agency was held on June 2, 2004 in Sacramento, <br />California. Those in attendance from The Resources Agency were: Secretary of <br />Resources, Michael Chrisman, Department of Water Resources Director Lester Snow, <br />and Department of Fish and Game Director, Ryan Broddrick. Accompanying me were <br />representatives from agencies on the Colorado River Board and included Ms. Maureen <br />Stapleton, and Messrs. Steve Robbins, Dennis Underwood, and Elston Grubaugh. The <br />primary purpose of the briefmg was to provide an overview on the current status of the <br />water supply conditions in the Colorado River Basin and activities being evaluated by <br />representatives from the Basin states and Reclamation to potentially lessen the impacts of <br />the drought and to hasten the recovery of the reservoir system following the end of the <br />drought. Also, discussed during the briefmg was the status of completing the Lower <br />Colorado River Multi-Species Conservation Program and the outstanding issues that need <br />to be resolved in order to move forward with its implementation. <br /> <br />USBR Request for Proposals to Voluntarily Forbear Water Use Pursuant to <br />Demonstration Forbearance Program <br /> <br />Because of the continuing drought situation in the Colorado River Basin, <br />Reclamation has initiated a voluntary forbearance demonstration program in an effort to <br />reduce the loss of system storage in the mainstream reservoirs in the Lower Basin. <br />Specifically, Reclamation is attempting to acquire up to 110,000 acre-feet annually, to <br />replace the water currently flowing to the Cienega de Santa Clara in the Wellton- <br />Mohawk Bypass Drain. With this program Reclamation proposes to fmancially <br />compensate entitlement holders who agree to forbear the use of a portion of the <br />entitlement holder's annual conswnptive use of mainstream water. Reclamation would <br />only consider the forbearance of water from agriculturaI conswnptive uses as qualifYing <br />for this program, and the amounts must be in increments greater than 1,000 acre-feet <br />from anyone-entitlement holder. Additionally, Reclamation would only allow up to 33% <br />of an entitlement holder's acreage to be fallowed, or otherwise managed, to create the <br />mainstream water to be forborne. <br /> <br />Reclamation will not compete with junior priority rights holders within a Lower <br />Division state. Consequently, any mainstream water made available pursuant to the <br />program would first be made available to junior entitlement holders in that state. Only if <br />there is no demand for the available supply would Reclamation agree to accept the water <br />and reserve it within the reservoir system. As individual forbearance agreements are <br />developed, Reclamation will complete any necessary environment compliance processes <br />(e.g., NEPA and ESA, etc.). Additionally, Reclamation will require that a verification <br />process be developed and in place to document any reductions in consumptive use of <br />mainstream water by a participating entitlement holder. <br /> <br />3 <br />