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1338 - ;0,. . .,. ~ ....~ ....... 4 T- ~ .-.!"" ___ " I .k . '<ill , . &e Colorado River The Colorado River is I ,4~O miles long and passes through pans of se'ien stales- Wyoming. Colorado. Utah, New Mexico. Arizona. Nevada and California-and the Republic of f\.fex. iCQ. The Colorado is the ani... source of water for much of the arid lands surrounding it. Because of all the com- peting needs for water in the region. agreements and court decisions among the SUles and Mexico have determined the allocation of Colorado RI\'er water. The Colorado was the first major river in the United States 10 have every drop of its water allocated. and is the most adjudicated river in the nalion. With :hc completion of the Central Arizona Project, when Arizona begins to use its full allocation. California's share of the Colorado will be 4.4 million acre-feet, down from the 5.3 million acre-feet we now use. Coastal southern California will then lose about 600,000 acre-feet, roughly hair .f its allotment. This loss, coupled ith continuous population growth. poses a serious challenge 10 coastal southern California-how to make needs and supplies match. The area has a number of possibilities. including waler conservalion and reuse, innova- tive water transfer and banking plans and Ihe controversial import of more water from nonhern California. None of these possibilities will be easily realized. All of the dams on the Colorado River are operated by the Bureau of Reclamation, an agency of the Department of Ihe Interior. The Secre. tan' of the Imerior makes the decisions controlling the distribution of water from these projects, in accordance with all the documents that make up the complex "Law of the Ri'..er" including the Colorado River Compact of 1922, coun decisions, federal laws and other agreements determining water entitle. ments of individuals. . Local Water Districts Since the early 1900s, local water import programs ha\'e made possible the development of the San Francisco Bay area, Los Angeles and other southern California cities, and agricul- tural areas statewide. Local districts also work with utilities to construct projects providing water and power. Today ne,arly 600 special purpose local agencies in California provide water to their are3S through local development projects and imported supplies. Many water districts provide domestic and industrial water while others serve agricultural needs. Besides water supply. many local ageneis operated flood control and waste waler treatment facilities. A local water agency usually is formed by a vote of the community, governed by elected directors, sells bonds if auth~ rized by an election and operates on a nonprofit basis. ....~.-..'.... '... - '.' ""'" > .......~. II " '. /' I _ .. WATER RECLAMATION As the state's population continues to grow and our water resources become more and more precious, techniques for recycling water are toecoming viable as a me,ans 10 stretch supplies. Reuse can be direct. when ",astcwater is treated and put in a pipe or reservoir for deli\'e!)' to a specific u~er, or indirect. ",hen wastewater is returned to a river or undt:rground r~ervoir and inadvenenlh' become-s part of the water withdra~'n for adJi- - 7- tional uses. The California Water Code specifies how wastewater may be used. depending upon the le....els of Ire,atment it receives. Historically. the major reu~ applica- tion has been for irrigation and land- scaping. The Department of Water Resources estimates annual municipal water reu<,C at 350.000 acre-feet- aroul five percent of urban "'ater deli\'encs.