WSP07317

• File Number: 8210.140.20
• Description: Colorado River Basin Organizations and Entities - Colorado River Basin States Forum - California
• State: CA
• Basin: Western Slope
• Date: 1/1/1971
• Author: Myron B Holburt
• Title: Annual Report for the Calendar Year 1970
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Annual Report

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The five-year agreement with Mexico embodied in Minute 218 of
the International Boundary and Water Commission, which provides for
certain measures which lessen the impact of salinity on Mexico,
expired on November 15, 1970. Mexico stated that it would not agree
to an extension of a new five-year agreement in its present form.
During 1970 the seven-state Committee of Fourteen, with the Board's
Chief Engineer as one of California's two members, met with the United
States Commissioner for the International Boundary and Water Commission
to consider acceptable alternatives for a new agreement. Mexico agreed
to a one-year extension of the current Minute, but as of this date
there has been no acceptance of any longer term agreement.

The Board's Chief Engineer was a member of a special Resources
Agency task force charged with the responsibility for recommending a
State policy on the Bureau of Reclamation's Lower Colorado River
Management Program. The task force completed its assignment in 1970
and its report was adopted as state policy on the Lower Colorado River
Management Program and associated environmental factors. The State
of Arizona concurred in the Action Program portion of the report.
Following California1s initiative in developing this policy statement,
the Bureau of Reclamation established a coordinating group for the
river's management program comprised of representatives of state and
federal agencies.

The Board continued to furnish technical assistance to the
Attorney General in Arizona v. California et al post-decree proceedings.
Efforts to obtain cred~t tor unmeasured surface return flows moved
a step closer to solution during 1970 by establishment of a task force
of federal and state representatives to coordinate a proposed measure-
ment program. By year's end, installation of instrumentation for
the program was under way.

The Board continued its efforts in many activities that may even-
tually lead to augmentation of the Colorado River. The primary efforts
were in connection with the Federal-State Type I Comprehensive Plan-
ning Studies scheduled for completion in 1971 and the Western United
States Water Plan Study authorized by the 1968 Colorado River Basin
proj ect Act.

Considerable effort during the early part of 1970 was devoted to
the development of long-range operating criteria for the major reser-
voirs of the Colorado River and to development of arguments against
the termination of the Glen Canyon Filling Criteria as proposed by the
states of Colorado, Wyoming, Utah, and New Mexico. The Secretary of
the Interior adopted criteria that are generally satisfactory to Cali-
fornia and also announced that Filling Criteria will continue, a
position supported by California, Arizona, and Nevada. Commencing
July 1, 1970, the major Colorado River reservoirs were operated under
the new criteria.

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ND R. RUMMONDS
Chairman and Colorado River
COUDIlissioner

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