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<br />. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />and do work in Mexico that it would be subject to review by Department of the Interior and State <br />Department solicitors and approval by the State Department. Possible cooperative efforts that were <br />identified include: 1) a Mexicali Valley Irrigation System Improvement Study, 2) implementation of the <br />Mexican component of the alternative contained in the Packard Report, 3) identification of opportunities <br />to optimize water use under the Water Conservation Field Service Program, 4) surface and ground water <br />modeling in the Colorado River Delta,S) drainage improvement in the Mexicali Valley, 6) maximizing <br />the use of lower quality water on habitats, 7) assist Mexico to prepare a drought contingency plan, and <br />8) provide technical services on waterresource projects. None ofthese potential efforts involve delivering <br />United States water to Mexico. Reclamation is releasing this draft document to environmental interests <br />and is receptive to receiving comments on it. <br /> <br />Also, during the February 1 Sf meeting, representatives from California provided a status report on <br />the activities associated with implementation of California's Colorado River Waler Use Plan, The release <br />of the various environmental compliance documents and efforts to address the fully protected species in <br />California were highlighted, <br /> <br />Representati ves from the Basin states are forming a technical committee to obtain further <br />information related to the needs and opportunities related to restoration of the Colorado River Delta, A <br />letter is being prepared by representatives of the Basin states outlining their thoughts on participation in <br />the Minute 306 process. <br /> <br />Southwest Indian Agricultural Association Conference & Water Marketing Seminar <br /> <br />Included in the handout material is a copy of my speech, along with materials provided by other <br />prese'!ters, which was distributed at the subject conference on January 17,2002, The title of the speech <br />was Indian Water Marketing:_ A California Perspective, In the speech I tried to point out that: I) water <br />marketing will playa major role in meeting the water supply needs within the Colorado River Basin in the <br />future and 2) the Indian Tribes have opportunities to actively participate in water marketing, At the present <br />time, those opportunities may be more limited than some of the Tribes would like; however, they do exist <br />and more opportunities are likely in the future, <br /> <br />Colorado River Environmental Activities <br /> <br />Status oflhe Development of the Lower Colorado River MulJi-Species Conservation Program <br /> <br />The MSCP Steering Committee's Technical Consulting Team ofSAIC/Jones and Stokes released <br />a second administrative draft of the proposed Conservation Plan for the Lower Colorado River from Lake <br />Mead to the Southerly International Boundary with Mexico. This version is more complete than the first <br />draft. <br /> <br />The draft plan identifies a series of proposed habitat restoration, maintenance, and species <br />conservation actions and projects over the fifty-year period. Currently, the conservation plan's estimated <br />costs for the 50-year period, indexed for inflation, is in excess of 5 billion dollars, MSCP participants are <br /> <br />8 <br />