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<br />. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />43 CFR Part 417 Process <br /> <br />Last month we discussed U.S. District Court Judge Whelan's preliminary injunction that: <br />1) barred the Department of the Interior (DOl) from cutting Imperial Irrigation District's (lID) water <br />order by about 300,000 acre-feet; and 2) ordered DOl to initiate a Part 417 analysis process for <br />determination of beneficial use of Colorado River water by lID. <br /> <br />As you are aware, opinions are split on the benefits to be derived from DOl moving forward on <br />the 417 Process, due to the possible impact that it could have on delaying execution of the <br />Quantification Settlement Agreement (QSA). Included in the Board folder, is a letter to Secretary <br />Norton from members of the California Legislature, informing DOl that the ongoing 417 process is <br />counterproductive to a successful finalization of the QSA and encourages DOl to support the QSA <br />efforts. <br /> <br />On July 3"' Reclamation released, in accordance to Judge Whelan's order, its determination of <br />beneficial use of Colorado River water by lID. In its ruling, Reclamation stated that the lID is wasting <br />water and will reduced its water order for 2003 by 9 percent to 2,824,100 acre-feet of Colorado River <br />water to be diverted at Imperial Dam after the Court has reviewed Reclamations determination. In <br />addition, Reclamation provided 10 specific recommendations related to water conservation measures <br />and operating practices in the diversion, delivery, distribution and use of Colorado River water within <br />lID and are listed below: <br /> <br />I. Water measurement - Develop, maintain and use a district-wide network of water <br />measurement devices for consistent recording and reporting and on-farm water use. <br />2. Scheduling Water Orders - Modify policy to give farmers greater flexibility with water <br />deliveries. <br />3. Tailwater Management - Enforce ordinance limiting tailwater to 15 percent. Reduce <br />the 15 percent tailwater limit incrementaIly over a specific number of years. <br />4. Physical Improvements - Implement lID's draft Agricultural Water Managrnent Plan <br />(March 2002). <br />5. lID Farmer Outreach - Continue and increase the level of participation in outreach <br />activities to provide services to farmers to assist in making decisions about a wide <br />variety of water conservation. <br />.6. Irrigation Management - Assist farmers in using climatic and evapotranspiration data <br />to help determine when to irrigate and how much water to apply. <br />7. Cultural Practices - Educate the farmers in practices used throughout the western <br />United States to save water, reduce costs, optimize yields and improve profits. <br />8. Land Leveling and Grading - Reduce length of irrigation runs. <br />9. Linear Move Sprinklers - Consider the use of linear move sprinkler systems where <br />slopes are relatively steep and the depth of soil is such that grading or leveling is not <br />feasible. <br />10. Drip Irrigation - Investigate possibility of increasing the number of acres being <br />irrigated by drip irrigation from the current level of 12,000 acres. <br /> <br />4 <br />