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<br />Washington, central Arizona, southcentral Colorado,
<br />and New Mexico. With respect to surface water
<br />storage, six states are near to well above average.
<br />New Mexico has 179%, compared to Nevada's 13%
<br />on February 29.
<br />
<br />WATER RESOURCESIENVIRONMENT
<br />
<br />Endangered Species
<br />
<br />California state and federal water projects will
<br />sharply reduce their pumping in the Sacramento-San
<br />Joaquin Delta to protect the endangered winter-run
<br />chinook salmon. The cutbacks, announced April 10
<br />by the California Department of Water Resources and
<br />the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. will reduce pumping
<br />to 1200 cubic feet per second, a fraction of the
<br />capacity of the state and federal pumping plants.
<br />Under the cutback the state will pump 350 cfs and
<br />the Bureau 850 cfs. Immediately before the cutback
<br />the state was pumping 2,000 cfs and the Bureau
<br />3300 cfs. The cutback was ordered by the National
<br />Marine Fisheries Service after consultation over losses
<br />this year of young winter-run chinook migrating out
<br />from the Sacramento River watershed. The projects
<br />have pumped heaviiy from the Delta since the rains
<br />of early February, nearly filing the two million acre-
<br />foot San Luis Reservoir south of the Delta.
<br />
<br />Rivers
<br />
<br />The environmental group American Rivers has
<br />recently released Its annual list of 'endangered' and
<br />"threatened" rivers. The focus of the list has changed
<br />this year away from protecting pristine river resources
<br />to restoring rivers already adversely affected, in
<br />American Rivers' view, by hydroelectric development,
<br />mining, siivicuiture, agriculture, ground water
<br />withdrawals, and other problems. Western rivers
<br />included on the 'threatened" list are: Virgin River,
<br />Arizona, Nevada and Utah; Verde River, Arizona; Rio
<br />Conch os, Rio Grande, Texas; Klamath River, Oregon;
<br />Illinois River, Oregon; ~unnison River, Colorado;
<br />Elwha River, Washington; Clavey River, California; and
<br />~mas River, Colorado.
<br />
<br />Rivers included on the 'endangered" list are:
<br />Columbia and Snake River, Washington, Oregon,
<br />Idaho, and Montana; Blackfoot River, Montana;
<br />Colorado River:, Arizona; American River, California;
<br />and Alsek and Tatshenshini River, Alaska, The
<br />
<br />Columbia and Snake river system is listed first,
<br />according to an American Rivers representative,
<br />because of the "tremendous decline in the number of
<br />native fish species moving up and down those rivers."
<br />The group asserts that over 200 fish species are
<br />imperiled in the system.
<br />
<br />.
<br />
<br />WATER RIGHTS
<br />
<br />Indian Reserved Rights/Northern Cheyenne Tribe
<br />
<br />The Senate Select Committee on Indian Affairs
<br />has reported S. 1607, a bill that codifies a reserved
<br />water rights settlement agreement between the
<br />Northern Cheyenne Indian Tribe and the state of
<br />Montana. It provides approximately $22M to the
<br />Tribe, half of which the tribe will loan to Montana to
<br />rehabilitate the Tongue River Dam. The loan's
<br />repayment agreement will include provisions creating
<br />an Indian preference clause for all contracts for work
<br />on the dam. Markup for S. 1607 was first scheduled
<br />last fall, but was delayed a number of times because
<br />of opposition from the Administration and because
<br />some senators had placed holds on the bill. No
<br />companion bill has yet passed the House.
<br />
<br />In addition to its provisions to settle the Northern
<br />Cheyenne Tribe's claims, S. 1607 would create a trust
<br />fund at the Department of Treasury for indian water
<br />claims settlement generally. Appropriations under the .
<br />bill, and those for future settlements, would be
<br />deposited into the fund to provide a consistent and
<br />dependable funding source for Indian water rights
<br />settlements. Under current policy, funding for
<br />settlements often competes with funding for other
<br />Bureau of Indian Affairs and Indian Health Service
<br />programs. This competition has been criticized in the
<br />past.
<br />
<br />MEETINGS
<br />
<br />Enclosed with this newsletter is a brochure
<br />advertising a two day symposium sponsored by
<br />various Oregon water organizations which will focus
<br />on experiences of administering water marketing
<br />policies in the western states. Speakers wiil explore
<br />both successes and problems related to water
<br />marketing efforts. Oregon Senator Mark Hatfield wiil
<br />be a keynote speaker. The symposium wiil take
<br />place May 27-28, at the Willamette University College
<br />of Law Smith Auditorium In Salem, Oregon.
<br />
<br />The WESTERN STATES WATER COUNCIL is an organization of representatives appointed by the Governors
<br />of member states - Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, North .
<br />Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming, with Oklahoma as an associate member
<br />state.
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