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. WESTERN STATES WATER ::::_~-- E\'JE,O ~1~\~~~ '/'Ja\er co\olacl~oo Boarcl co('\sef'13 February 24, 1995 Issue No. 1084 . ill ;ll"c I_Ase . F ! , 'Il :E recycled aper conserve water THE WEEKLY NEWSLETTER OF THE WESTERN STATES WATER COUNCIL Creekview Plaza, Sirlte Ao201/942 East 7145 So. / Midviue, Utah 84047 / (801) 561-5300 / FAX (801) 255-9642 ,. ..-0, .. _ . Chairman - Larry Anderson; Executive Director'- Craig Bell; Editor - TonyWmardson;' Typist - Carrie Cutvin WATER RESOURCES Colorado River Basin . The Lower Colorado River Basin Technical Committee recently issued a progress report on its activities and discus.sions. The Technical Committee was created in an attempt to find a mutually acceptable solution to the region's growing water demands among Arizona, California and Nevada and Colorado River Indian tribes, as well as the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation and water users. It was established subsequent to preliminary meetings involving,ll1!! sev~n ColOl"<ldaRiver Basin States.and the Ten Tribes Partnership. The Technical Committee (TC) includes representatives of the Arizona Department of Water Resources, the Colorado River Board of California, the Colorado River Commission of Nevada and Southern Nevada Water Authority, the I mperial I rrigation District, Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, Central Arizona Water Conservation District, and \^Jelto:1-Mohawk Irrigation and Drainage District. The TC has met ofte'n since laS! Octobe,r .anq has identified four guiding principles: (1} no soh,JtlQi1Will result in any permanElOt change in a state's basic apportionment of water under the Law of the River, and changes in individual water entitlements must be on a voluntary basis; (2) proposed solutions will focus on achieving maximum use of the Lower Basin water supply; .(3) implementable solutions must include appropriate mitigation or compensation for adverse impacts to other states and third parties; and (4) though not likely over the near-term, measures to augment the basin's water supply deserve future consideration. . In addition to the above principles, the TC has identified a number of critical needs to be addressed within the development of a regional solution to water shortages. Briefly, those needs are; (1) '~i'full Colorado . River Aqueduct for .southern Califomia; (2) an increased water-supply. for'southernNevada;(3) some means to allow' entities to. make cpmpensi;ltiori for inadvertently using more than ..their water supply entitlements; (4) drought protection: particularly in Arizona; (5) a long- term water supply to meet the. federal gOilernmenfs . water quality obligation to Mexico'; (6) a mechanism to . address other potential water supply needs; and (7) a way for tribes to fully develop and benefit from the use of their water resources. . Of note, the Committee is discussing a number of potential elements to a regional solution incluping the development of water banking .and reservoir management opportunities, interstate' transfers, tribal water transfers and otheraiternatives. Water banking opportunities. include mainstem, off-mainstem and ground water recharge. Banking of "conserved" water is also under discussion. Within Lake Mead, the TC is discussing changes to allow both top-water and middle- water banking, subject to certain restrictions. Lake Mead would alsp playa role in allowing some flexibility to addreSs inadvertent oilerruns in excess of an entity's anI1U;ilentitlement, as well ,as proposals for defining and allocating . water' use given any future surplus or shortage. A number of alternatives are being studied and modeled, and a number of issues have yet to be resolved: including the declaration of "surplus," the definition of "conserved/saved" water and its measurement, allocating unused apportionments, ensuring certainty and reliability, establishing an accounting methodology for transfers, identifying adverse impacts and appropriate mitigation, detennining to what extent unused apportionments may be transferred to another state, establishing a Lower Division States' forum and defining its responsibilities and authority, and the types of water to be marketed. The TC has recommended continuing meetings to refine and revise a regional solution, continuing modeling