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<br />In 1989, $3M was appropriated to begin initial
<br />construction of twelve projects. Last year, authorized
<br />program spending was increased from $20M to $31 M.
<br />The nine completed projects are: the Wood River and
<br />York projects in Nebraska; the Blaine Gypsum project
<br />in Oklahoma: the Hueco Bolson project in West Texas,
<br />the Denver Basin project In Colorado, the Southeast
<br />Salt Lake project in Utah, the Washoe County project
<br />in Nevada, the Turner-Hogeland project in Montana,
<br />and the Highline project in Seattle, Washington. The
<br />four projects under construction are: the Rillito Creek
<br />project in Arizona; the Southwest Irrigation project
<br />near Twin Falls, Idaho; the Hermiston project in
<br />Oregon: and the Huron project in South Dakota.
<br />
<br />The eight projects dropped include the Big Creek
<br />and Equus Beds projects in Kansas, and Woodward
<br />project in Oklahoma. The later was completely
<br />reformulated to meet Bureau requests, and feasibility
<br />studies for all three are complete. Projects in Arcade
<br />and Stockton, Calnornia and the T'exas High Plains
<br />had been deferred earlier, and local sponsors of the
<br />Frenchman and Arikaree projects in eastern Colorado
<br />withdrew from the program as project monitoring costs
<br />and their 20% cost share continued to increase.
<br />
<br />The Council recently extended through FY94 a
<br />cooperative agreement with the Bureau of Reclamation
<br />to complete a study of the economic and institutional
<br />aspects of ground water recharge projects in the West
<br />and recommend program improvements.
<br />
<br />Water Transfers/Central Valley Project
<br />
<br />On September 21, the Metropolitan Water District of
<br />Southern California (MWD) announced it had reached
<br />the first negotiated voluntary water transfer authorized
<br />under last year's Central Valley Project Improvement
<br />Act. According to General Manager John Wodraska,
<br />"After years of speculation over urban/agricultural
<br />water transfers, Californians will finally benefit from
<br />these voluntary exchanges." He added, "Among the
<br />advantages such transfers provide are reliable water
<br />supplies for urban areas, and infusion of economic
<br />relief for a struggling agricultural community and
<br />significant steps to improve the state's environment."
<br />Under the agreement, MWD will pay $7M to Areias
<br />Dairy Farms of Los Banos for up to 35,000 acre-feet of
<br />water over a 15-year period. MWD may choose to
<br />take up to 5,000 acre-feet in each of any seven years.
<br />Areias Dairy Farms will receive $6.25M or $175 per
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<br />acre-foot, while under the law the remaining $875,000
<br />or $25 per acre-foot will be paid into an environmental
<br />restoration fund. MWD must also pay to transport the
<br />water to Southern California.
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<br />MWD's Board Is expected to give its final approval
<br />next month. Then the agreement will be reviewed by
<br />the Secretary of Interior, State Department of Water
<br />Resources, State Water Resources Control Board and
<br />other regulatory agencies. Areias Dairy Farms is a
<br />70-year old family operation and plans to use the
<br />capital to modernize facilities and make the transition
<br />from growing low-value water-intensive crops to
<br />high-value crops that require less water.
<br />
<br />WATER RIGHTS
<br />
<br />Indian Reserved Rights/Arizona
<br />
<br />Senator John McCain (R- ) has introduced
<br />legislation (S. 1146), to impl ment a settlement
<br />reached between Arizona, the Ya apai Prescott Indian
<br />Tribe, the City of Prescott, and the federal government.
<br />A hearing was recently held 0 the bill to discuss
<br />technical amendments and allo Interior officials to
<br />testify. The Yavapai Reservati n and the City of
<br />Prescott sit side-by-side near th Verde River. Tribal
<br />and municipal leaders, and near y water users, have
<br />been concerned over their interr lated rights to water
<br />from the river. The reservation nd the municipality
<br />signed a water service contrac in 1972. In 1978,
<br />Arizona began a general adjudi ation proceeding of
<br />the Gila River and its tributaries, including the Verde.
<br />Given the complex nature of this proceeding, and the
<br />time necessary for its completio ,the tribe sought to
<br />have its water rights establis ed apart from the
<br />adjudication. The negotiations ultimately led to a
<br />successful settlement that is incl ded in S. 1146.
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<br />The settlement amends the 1972 water service
<br />contract between the city and the tribe, and authorizes
<br />the federal government to repurchase federal water
<br />supply contracts from the city and the tribe, and help
<br />determine the purchase price. Funds acquired from
<br />the purchase would be deposited in a trust fund,
<br />along with an Arizona contribution of some $200,000.
<br />The proceeds of the trust would be available to the
<br />tribe to develop new water facilities, and acquire
<br />additional water supplies. Further, the federal
<br />government would assist the tribe in establishing a
<br />ground water management plan in accordance with
<br />Arizona law.
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<br />The WESTERN STATES WATER COUNCIL is an organization of representatives appointed by the Governors of
<br />member states - Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota,
<br />Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming, and associate member state Oklahoma
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