Laserfiche WebLink
<br />. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />\ <br /> <br />The preliminary January 2003 end-of-year estimate for California agricultural consumptive <br />use of Colorado River water under the first three priorities and the sixth priority of the 1931 <br />California Seven Party Agreement is 4.043 maf. This estimate is based on the collective use through <br />No~ember 2002 by the Palo Verde Irrigation District, the Yuma Project Reservation Division <br />(YPRD), the Imperial Irrigation District, and the Coachella Valley Water District. Figure I, found <br />at the end of this report, depicts the historic projected end-of-year agricultural use for the year. <br /> <br />Colorado River Operations <br /> <br />Colorado River Water Users Association Conference in Las Vegas, Nevada <br /> <br />Included in the Board folder is a copy of Secretary of the Interior Gale Norton's remarks that <br />she presented at the Colorado Ri vel' Water Users Association Conference. In her remarks, she <br />focused on five issues. <br /> <br />California <br />Secretary Norton said California can have a "soft-landing" by taking specific actions to <br />reduce its Colorado River water to 4.4 million AF per year by the year 2015; in return, California <br />would receive access to additional surplus water. "Alternatively, if California didn't take required <br />actions, it would immediately lose enhanced access to surplus water, beginning January 2003. The <br />latter approach would be the "hard landing". <br /> <br />. Mexico <br />Secretary Norton said that the United States shares both the Rio Grande and Colorado River <br />with Mexico. Mexico has requested more water li'om the Colorado River, while disputes have risen <br />over Mexico's delivery obligation of Rio Grande water to Texas. She explained that the U.S. is <br />committed to upholding its treaty obligations, and the U.S. expects the Republic of Mexico to do the <br />same. <br /> <br />. Federal Endangered Species <br />Secretary Norton stated "we also take very seriously the requirement of the federal <br />Endangered Species Act in the course of managing the Colorado River". She cited the work <br />accomplished in the Upper Colorado River Basin to recover endangered fish, and recognized the <br />progress being made with the Multi-Species Conservation Program for the Lower Colorado River <br />Basin. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />Indian Water Settlements <br />Secretary Norton said "one of the highest priorities of the Department of the Interior is <br />responsibility to Indian Tribes". She noted construction on the long awaited Animas-La Plata project <br />has commenced, along with settlement of Indian water rights in Arizona. <br /> <br />. Era of Limits <br />Secretary Norton stated that "the challenges ahead involve the era of limits with drought, <br />population growth, and the loss of surpluses and full reservoirs. There are opportunities to use water <br />more efficiently, both in cities and in agriculture. Urban water users can afford to help finance <br /> <br />2 <br /> <br />I <br />