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C'"; ~ C'.! C": I) ~' "~ "', ',,-. '. ",'. . "- .,,!..~ ~ " United States Department of the Interior OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY WASHINGTON, D,C, 20240 Nay 12 1981 Memorandum To: Commissioner, Bureau of Reclamation From: Secretary Subject: Central Arizona Project (CAP) Authorizing legislation for the Central Arizona Project (CAP) vests several administrative decisions with the Secretary of the Interior. Anong these decisions are the allocation of Arizona's Colorado River ;rater entitle~ent to Indian and non-Indian users, selection of an alternative for flood control and terminal storage of CAP water, and the sizing and terminus of t~e Tucson A~ueduct. After numerous briefings and discussions regarding the iss~es surrounding these decisions with you, Assistant Secretary for Land and ~ater Resources Carruthers, Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs S~ith, Fxizona's Congressional Delegation, Arizona Indian Tribes and Tribal representatives, Citizens fr~n Arizona, and Interior staff, combined with the nyriad issue papers and doc~~ent3 presented for my information and consideratio~, several field trips, and much debate, the following discussions will provide guidance and instruction with respect to our ongoing CAP activities. It is noted that interdependencies of these decisions make each decision somewhat larger than its component parts and these interdependencies are to be examined in detail in our ongoing or proposed Environmental I~pact State- ments (EIS). In the interest of enhancing the public involvement 'process during preparation of EIS's, Department of the Interior procedures provide that the bureau preparing the EIS identify a proposed action. Conse~uently, several actions are herein described as the proposed action for consideration in preparation of the EIS's. The foundation upon which CAP decisions are based must begin with the project water users. Water allocations drive the decisions on facility's features, sizes, and locations. Conse~uently, the following discussions will logically begin with the proposed water allocation, followed by the proposed action on the Central Arizona Water Control Study (CAWCS), and finally on our activities with respect to the sizing and terminus of the Tucson A~ueduct. 1 Recognition should be given that these are "proposed" actions w::ich enable our planning and environmental evaluations to continue. Final decisions cannot be made until planning and review efforts are complete and the Final ~nvirolli~ental Impact Statements are filed. As previously announced, it is anticipated that final decisions will be made in the se~uence of thel discussions ~elc.,