Laserfiche WebLink
<br />(1)2189 <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />Last month, I received a copy ofa report entitled "The Sustainable Use of Water in the Lower <br />Colorado River Basin" which was jointly prepared by the Pacific Institute and the Global Water <br />Policy Project. The complete report is approximately 70 pages in length. Because of the desire of <br />the Board members to be aware of the work that is being published by this type of institution, copies <br />of the Executive Summary and Part VII-Recommendations from the report are included in the Board <br />folder. The report contains the following recommendations: <br /> <br />A. Allocate water to meet basic environmental water needs in the basin to <br />- Maintain minimum flows to the Cienega de Santa Clara <br />- Restore minimum flows to the Colorado River Delta <br /> <br />B. End non-renewable groundwater use in the basin <br /> <br />C. Fill water data and information gaps in the region <br /> <br />D. Restructure water institutions to promote sustainable water planning and use <br />- Improve the participation of all affected parties in Colorado River decision making <br />- Form an overarching international river basin commission <br /> <br />E. Apply other tools for reaching a sustainable vision in the Colorado Basin <br />Improvements in efficiency of water use should be 8 higher priority than creating 8 <br />new supply <br />. Allocation efficiency should be improved <br /> <br />Finally, included in the Board folder is a letter of invitation from Reclamation announcing <br />the grand opening of its new Water Quality Improvement Center located at the Yuma Desalting <br />Plant. The itinerary of events is attached to the letter. Commissioner Eluid Martinez will be giving <br />the opening address. The event is scheduled to begin at 9:00 a.m. on January 23, 1997. <br /> <br />Five-Year Review ofCoortlin..ted Lonl!-Ranl!e Operatinll Criteria <br />for Colorado River ReselVoirs <br /> <br />In response to Reclamation's October 31 st announcement requesting comments on the <br />"Criteria for Coordinated Long-Range Operation of Colorado River ReselVoirs (Long-Range <br />Operating Criteria)," the Board transmitted its comments to Reclamation on December 31, 1996. <br />These comments were prepared after consultation with the Colorado River Board Agency Managers <br />and after each of the Board members was provided a draft of the letter before being sent to <br />Reclamation. In its comments, the Board indicated that it is imperative that the Long-Range <br />Operating Criteria provide the necessary guidance for the Secretary of the Interior to annually <br />develop and implement the annual operating plan for the Colorado River reselVoir system. When <br />the existing Criteria were promulgated in 1970, it was envisioned that the Criteria might need to be <br />modified, as conditions changed and as operating experience was gained. With the annual <br />consumptive use in the Lower Basin now being at, or exceeding, the Lower Basin's basic annual <br /> <br />3 <br />