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. . Hearing before California Senate Committee on Agriculture and Water Resources On January 21'" California Senator Michael Machado, held an information hearing, to receive information concerning the "Status of the Colorado River Quantification Settlement Agreement". A copy of the hearing agenda has been included in the Board folder. Imperial Irrigation District vs. United States of America; Gale Norton, et al. On January 10, 2003, lID filed suit in the United States District Court for the Southern District of California. In the lawsuit, lID alleges that the United States cannot unilaterally reduce the 2003 water delivery to the District, and then make some of the water available to Coachella Valley Water District and The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California. The complaint alleges that the government used "strong-arm" tactics to attempt to force lID to execute the QSA, and that the government is incorrectly interpreting and utilizing 43 C.F.R. Part 417 regulations regarding reasonable and beneficial use. Also, the complaint alleges that the government is incorrectly interpreting the 1979 supplemental Decree in Arizona v. California which, among other things, quantified the water rights of present perfected right holders in the Lower Colorado River Basin. On January 27, 2003, I1D filed a Motion for Preliminary Injunction along with a Memorandum of Points and Authorities in Support of the Motion for Preliminary Injunction. Within its motion lID requests this Preliminary Injunction in order to ensure that lID continues to receive its full allocations of Colorado River water pending trial on this matter. Both The Metropolitan Water District of South em California and the Coachella Valley Water District have filed motions in the District Court for Southern California regarding this action by Secretary Norton. Basin States/Tribes Discussions Colorado River Basin States' Meeting A meeting of the Colorado River Basin States Technical Committee on the Colorado River Delta is scheduled to be held on February 25, 2003, in Las Vegas, Nevada. This meeting will follow Reclamation's meeting discussing its report to Congress regarding alternatives to operation of the Yuma Desalting Plant. The major items to be discussed during the Technical Committee meeting include: I. The status of U.S. /Mexico negotiations and agreements regarding the Rio Grande 2. The Committee report on the legal issues regarding ecological water flows for the Colorado River Delta under international and domestic law 3. Summary of water supplies in Northern Mexico 4. "Broad Brush" (concept) document identifying potential water supplies that rnight be available to meet the Colorado River Delta environmental component of Mexico's anticipated water needs in the Baja California/Sonora area 4