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....,.., . .1 " \,/- investiRation and program, if found feasible. In ils final report "The California Desert Conservation Area Plan, 1980", BlM acknowledged the importance of Metropolitan's study and indicated that facilities aSillCiated with implemenlinp; a program ma~' be allowed on public land but that they would be considered on a case-by-case basis with appropriate environmental assessment. Metropolitan continued work. on the geophysical phase of its investigation Ihrough the end of Ihe year. Allegalion that Imperial/mial/on District Misuses IVJtef Bya letter dawd June 17, 1980, John Elmore, a farmer in the Imperial VallE'y, applied to the Department of Water Resources for an invt'sli~ation of alleged mi<,u<'t, of water by the Imperial Irrigation District. VIr. ElmOrt. farms lands borderinR on tht. Salton Sea, and Ihe risinlo1 fewl of the Sea during the last se....eral vt'drS h.ls /mp~'n;ll Dam dnd de<,ilting b,Hin<, dt tht' heddl~Drh of the AI/..4meric dn Cdn.t!. required him to construct dikes and to pump drain v.ater from his lands. HE:' allelo1ed that wasteful management and marketinR practices of the District have been primarily responsible for the nse in the Sea's level. In response to Mr. Elmore's r{'quest tht' Department commenced an investigation of these allegations, which was still continuing at the end of the year. Protection of Existing Right! LO\\er Colorado Ri\er Return Flm" Studl,l The aClivities of the Federal.Stale Task Forct' on Unmeasured Return Flows to the Colorado River have been dt'scribt'd in the Board's previous annual reports. The Task Force met in June to continue ils mis..ion of O\'erseeing studies and operational medsures b~' the Water 9 and Power Resourc~ Service and the U.S. Geological Survey to quantify subsurface return flows to the mainstream of (he Colorado River. Work continued on the installation of river g.lges at irequent intervals in Palo Verde and Cibola Valleys to obtain river stage elevations at the same locations where piezometer clusters have been installed to obtain ground water elevations. Agreement was reacht>d on procedures for mathematical modeling of the Parker, Palo Verde, and Cibola Valley.. that will be Ie<>s costlv and time-consuming than the procedure used in the Yuma area. Other procedures were discussed for application in the Mohavt' Valley area. The Board staff advised the Attorney General'.. office of lhe i....ue of the Slale of California being charged for additional diversions from the Colorado RivN as a resuh of the City of BI~th(' and the East Blvthe County Water District being reported separalely from Palo Verde Irrigation Dislflct in the Departm€'nl of the Interior's annuJ.1 report on diversions and returns pursuanlto Article Vjbl oi the 19M ArizonJ v. Cllifornid Df"Crft'. In the 1978 calendar year report prepJ.fed by the Water and Power Resources Service for lhe Seoetar~' 01 thl' Interior, a lotal of 3.51b anl'-ft"t't were shov.'n as well pumpage figures for these two a,ll;encif'S and charlo1ed against the State of California Bv letter of April 10, 1980, the Attorney Gent'ral's office advised Water and Power Resources Service'., Commissioner Keith Higginson of this double accounting and rE'Quested him to not include this v.el1 pumpage as C.Ilifornia diversions, By l(.tters of \-lay 13, .lnd \.lav 30, 1980. from Commissioner Higginson and Lov.t>f Colorado R{',II;ional Dirf'Ctor Hinds, re"pectivelv, (he government agrt't'd lhal the water pumpro by (he City of BI\(he and East Blvlh(' Counl\' Water District i.. covered bv Palo Verde Irrigation Oiwict's diversions and that Cdlifornia will no longer be ch.ulo1ed ior the ground~\ater pumpag€' bv the two a~enCles.