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Reaching Consensus Among Stakeholders Lower Colorado River Multi-Species Conservation Joint Partnership Agreement (Arizona, California, Nevada) For the first time in the history of the Lower Colorado Basin, the states of Arizona, California, and Nevada on May I joined with the U.S. Interior Department, led by the Bureau of Reclamation, in signing a landmark agreement to develop a comprehensive, 50-year ecosystem-wide approach to species conservation on the Lower Colorado River. The focus of this agreement will be on providing sustainable health for 102 species native to the Lower Colorado River while accommodating current water diversions and power production and optimizing future water and power development opportunities to benefit the region's economy and quality oflife. This agreement includes the commitment of$4.5 million in a 50-50 state-federal cost share to conduct interim conservation measures over the next five years and to develop a comprehensive multi-species conservation plan for the Lower Colorado. The agreement comes during the 75th anniversary year of the signing of the Colorado River . Compact -- the grandparent of all Colorado River agreements. This seems only fitting because finding consensus regarding environmental concerns will be one of the key river issues for the next 75 years. Rio Grande (New Mexico, Texas) Reclamation was instrumental in 1996 in bringing all effected parties to the table and obtaining critical flows necessary for the continued survival of the silvery minnow during the 1996 drought. While river operations were not under Reclamation's direct control, Reclamation was the entity that had the ability to bring resolution to the issue. Efforts included securing San Juan-Chama water, use of the Low Flow Conveyance Channel, water delivery infrastructure improvement, exploring feasibility of groundwater options, and water leasing and forbearance.