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<br />are the Wellton-ttllawk. I=igation and Drainage District (20 miles fran the
<br />Colorado River), the Yuma Desalting Plant (4 miles west of Yuma), Irrperial,
<br />Laguna, and M::lrelos Dams, and the By-Pass Drain to the Santa Clara Slough,
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<br />~co.
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<br />~ JlH) BIS'l'(R[
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<br />U:':'t;" ~ ,~.~ .. ",.. .
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<br />~:, ,,)~,' ~,:;r,:,'~,1 '\ J:!'::: ,'"~\':~):~' i;'
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<br />
<br />The Colorado River drains a large area covering portions of Wyaning,
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<br />Colorado, Utah, Nevada, Arizona, CalifoDlia, and New Mexico, and ultimately
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<br />enpties into the Gulf of CalifoDlia. The long-tenn natural annual average
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<br />
<br />flow, based on a 78-year period fran 1906 through 1983, and caIpIted for
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<br />Lees Ferry (a Colorado River gaging station located about .4 miles above
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<br />the IOOUth of the Paria River), is about 15 million acre, feet (maf) of
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<br />water. A number of reservoirs on the main stem of the Colorado River and
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<br />its tributaries store nmoff for later release when natural flows are
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<br />inadequate to meet downstream needs.
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<br />A series of laws, interstate carpacts, court decisions and decrees,
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<br />contracts with the United states, an inteInational t=aty, operating
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<br />=iteria, and ackninistrative decisions collectively known as the "law of
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<br />the River," define the constraints and guidelines used by Reclamation, in
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<br />behalf of the Secretary of the Interior, to deliver Colorado River water to
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<br />the seven basin states (Wyaning, Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, Nevada,
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<br />Arizona, and CalifoDlia) and Mexico.
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