WSP05470

• File Number: 8210.140.20
• Description: Colorado River Basin Organizations and Entities - Colorado River Basin States Forum - California
• State: CA
• Basin: Western Slope
• Date: 1/1/1980
• Author: Myron B Holburt
• Title: Annual Report for the Calendar Year 1979
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Annual Report

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of the California Department of Fish
and Game, the Beal Slough backwater
on the California side of the Colorado
River between Needles and Topack
was dredged by the Water and Power
Resources Service in order to deepen
the backwater at low river stages.
Improvement of habitat for fish and
wildlife and development of
recreational facilities within the sloURh
was initiated.
Also durinl!: 1979 the Work Group
initiated a study of the nt't'd for
clearing the vegetation-covered flood
plain of the Colorado River near
Yuma, Arizona. An evaluation was
made of the value of the existing
habitat for both aquatic and terrestrial
species and of alternative methods of
strip clearing in order to increase
channel conveyance capacity while at
the same time leaving some
undisturbed habitat.
A subcommittee of the Work Group
adopted a plan of study for channel
stabilization and environmental
enhancement in the Parker II Division
which calls for preparation of
Environmental Quality and National
Economic Development plans under
the Water Resources Council's new
Principles and Standards. While these
plans were being slowly df'veloped,
the excess flows that were released
during the year accelerated the
existing rates of stream scour and
bank cutting. with resultant delf'terious
impacts downstream from the
sediment being picked up and
deposited. To lessen damages from
expf'Cted continued high releases, the
Service plans to expedite development
of alternative stabilizdtion medsures.
The Work Group also approved
pldns for dredging and develop.ing
marsh backwaters in the Impenal
National Wildlift." Refuge. pldnned as
part of the Bicentennidl Ldnd HeritaRe
Projects and utilizing funds from that
source.

legal Issues

Arizona \', California

The Board's 1978 Annual Report
described the final settlement of the
almost 15-year-old issue of present
perfected rights. culminating in a
January 9, 1979 supplemental df'Cree
of the United States Supreme Court.
As defined in the 1964 Df'Cree,
present perff'Cted rights arf"
mainstream water rights acquired
undPr statf' law and exercised by an
actual diversion, or fedf"ral reserved
water rights, both established prior 10
June 25, 1929, the effective date of
the Boulder Canyon Project Act.
In addition to entering the
supplemental decrt>e, the Court also
referred to a Special Master the
Df'Cember 21, 1978 motion of the
United States and several motions of
the five lower Colorado River Indian
tribes made during 1977 and 1978 fOf
modification of the decree to permit
diversion of additional Colorado River
water to the five reservations. These

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motions are de!>cribed in the Board's
1977 and 1978 Annual Reports. As
Slated in the government's motion,
the claims are for water for two
categories of lands: (1) "addition..1
practicably irrigable lands" as a resuh
of "boundary adjustments, effected
since the entry of the Decree of
March 9, 1964," amounting to 65,806
acre-feel of additional diversions, and
(2) "practicably irrigable lands which
were erroneously omitted from
consideration" and which were within
the recognized boundaries of the
reservations at the time of the decree,
amounting to 20,306 acre-feet of
additional diversions. The additional
consumptive use resulting from these
diversions is estimated to be between
43,000 and 59,000 acre-feet.
In February 1979, the "state
parties", comprising the States of
Arizona, California, and Nevada, and
Ihe seven California public agencies
(Palo Verde Irrigation District,
Coachella Valley Water District,
Imperial Irrigation District. The
Metropolitan Water District of
Southern California, Cily of Los
Angeles, City of San Diego, and
County of San Diego) filed one

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