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

STATE OF CALIFORNIA-THE RESOURCES AGENCY

EDMUND G, BROWN JR" Governor

COLORADO RIVER BOARD) OF CALIFORNIA
107 SOUTH BROADWAY, ROOM B]03 ,; I '"
LOS ANGELES, CALlFoRNri\ 90012' ."
[phone]

July 2, 1980

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Honorable Edmund G. Brown, Jr.
Governor of California
state Capitol
Sacramento, California 95814

Dear Governor Brown:

We are pleased to present to you and the Legislature the Colorado River Board's
Annual Report for Calendar Year 1979.

Water supplies in the Colorado River Basin were at an above-average level for the
year and these above-average conditions extended into 1980. The United States Water and
Power Resources Service commenced making anticipatory flood control releases from Hoover
Dam in May 1979. These anticipatory releases were made to reduce the magnitude and extent
of potentially damaging releases in future years. The excess flows, coupled with extremely
high flows on Lower Basin tributaries below Hoover Dam, caused some flooding problems for
Mexico in the Colorado River Delta area. The Board worked with United States and other
officials in seeking to alleviate the problems resulting from the high Colorado River flows.

The first triennial revision of the water quality standards for the Colorado River
System, on which the Board played the major role in 1978, were adopted by five of the
seven Colorado River Basin states during 1979 and were approved by the Environmental Protec-
tion Agency. The other two states anticipate adoption of the standards in 1980. The Board
continued its close working relationships with federal agencies and others involved in the
Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Program and spent considerable efforts to secure
reauthorizing legislation in Congress that would update the 1974 Colorado River Basin
Salinity Control Act.

The lawsuit, Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) vs. the Environmental Protection
Agency, Department of the Interior, and the seven Colorado River Basin states, was settled
in favor of the defendants in October 1979. In December 1979, EDF appealed the judgment.

Litigation was initiated by the United States in late 1978 to permit the diversion
of additional Colorado River water by five lower Colorado River Indian reservations for
irrigation use in Arizona, California, and Nevada. If the Court awards the reservations
the rights claimed on their behalf by the United States, it is estimated that nearly
60,000 acre-feet per year of consumptive use rights would be taken from existing users in
California. A Special Master was appointed by the Court in 1979 and the litigation was
actively pursued on preliminary issues during the year. The trial is scheduled to be
held in 1980.

A new issue, that of renewal of the Boulder Canyon Project (Hoover Dam) hydroelectric
power contracts after the current 50-year contracts expire in May 1987, commenced in 1979.
The Board is coordinating the efforts of the California agencies having existing electric
power contracts in analyzing and commenting on the federal government's proposed marketing
plans to the end that their existing contracts will be renewed with satisfactory terms and
conditions.

These and other activities in the Colorado River Basin are described in the report
which follows and in a separate supplemental appendix.

Sinrj{)ely yo~rs, ~---n
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and Colorado River Commissioner