WSP03532 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

001665 !i:~r~ ..;:'2>--. ~~~~\i?' Basin, and assuming the use of 100,000 acre-feet of M&I use from Navajo Reservoir through year 2005, there will remain unused water both~within the upper basin's allotment of Colorado Water and within the conservative estimate of water availability of 5,800,000 acre-feet consumptive use per year. Thus, the upper basin States will be able to use those projected quantities without assuming a critical determination of the upper basin's obligation toward delivery of water at Lee Ferry. Although Table I shows that New Mexico's use will exceed its permanent allotment (under the conservative assumption on which the values in the table are based) iri year 1990 by 92,000 acre-feet and in year 2000 by 99,000 acre-feet, it also shows that the upper basin would have 510,000 acre-feet in year 1990, 302,000 acre-feet in year 2000, and 314,000 acre-feet in year 2030 of unused or uncommitted Colorado River water. The issue of the possibility of allotments of much greater quantities of water to Indian Tribes on a permanent basis under the "Winters" concept has also created concern as to availability of water for industrial use in New Mexico. It is well recognized that large permanent allotments of water to any or al of the four Indian Tribes of the San Juan River Basin may eventually be granted either by judicial, executive, or legislative action. Since the proposed contract with El Paso contemplates only a temporary use, we need to be concerned about the physical availability of water within the upper basin's total allotment and at the site of diversion to the Company's plant in order to certify the water supply for El Paso through 2005. 5