WSP08316

• File Number: 8210.140.20
• Description: Colorado River Basin Organizations and Entities - Colorado River Basin States Forum - California
• State: CA
• Basin: Western Slope
• Date: 1/1/1976
• Author: Myron B Holburt
• Title: Annual Report for the Calendar Year 1975
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Annual Report

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iVestern United St,ut><; ~1~ter Plan
5tudv

The final report of the Department
of the Interior's \Vestern Uniled States
Water Plan Stud.,., was completed in
April 1975. Thi~ studv was authorized
by the 1968 Colorado River Basin
ProWCl An P.l. 90-5]7.
The report dl'scribes major
problems relating to watl'r resources
in lhe West by presenting weslwide.
rl'gional, and statl'wide issul's, It
stresses programs emphasizing tmal
water managl'ml'nt water
conservalion, and lhe environment,
but does not prest'nt a general plan to
mf'et tht> futurt' wall'r needs of lhe
We5tern United States, ....hich was thE'
charge given the St'Cretary of the
Interior by P.l. 90-5]7. The rpport
stales that the study was
administratively redirectpd to the

San Diego waler'ront s~'tlme

objective of idpntifying only thp mast
pressing and immediate water
resources studv needs.
Tht> Board ~taff worked With federal
and other state iCgencies on the
ColoriCdo Rivf'r portion of the stud\"

lower Colorado River
Management Program

The F('(jeral-State Lower Colorado
River Management Program
Coordinating Comminee and Work
Group, bOlh of which have bpen
dpscribt>d in earlier annual reports,
continued to meet on river control,
channelization. and environmental
problems.
Topock \t1arsh W,lS the site of the
major construction dC!ivitv in 1975, as
it also was in 1974. The Bureau of
Reclamation is using ils dredgt' "Uttle
Colorado" to constru(! wildlift' habitdt
improvements in the marsh that, in

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addition 10 increasing lhe value of the
habitat to wildlife dnd fish, should
,,1<'0 rt'dun' the diverSions to and
consumptive USI;'<j of the marsh.
In the lower portion of lhe Parker
Division, the Bureau of Reclamation's
eiiorts 10 develop a mdnagement plan
thaI included channelizallon, bank
stabilization, and fish and wildlife
fealuff'S were resumed In July after a
pt'riod of almosl (WO years 01 no
action. A subcommlllee, consisting of
rppresentatives from the Bureau,
Colorado River Indian Tribes, and
stdte and federal fish and .....ildlife
agencies. was formed to .....ork out a
plan acceptable 10 their organizations.
The subcommittee met several times
during the latter part of 1975 and
expects to report back to the \Vork
Group in eMlv 1976.
Thp Burpau of land Managemem
conductf.:'d a serif'S of public mf'etings
and open houses at various locations
in Southern California and Arizona
during 1974 and 1975 to solici( input
from the public ior the purpose of
de\-'eloping d "~dnagement
Frdmework Plan" ior the it.>d('ralldnd~
loc,ltt'd along the LO\'ver Colorado
Riwf in Arizand and California. The
BOdrd comml:'nted thilt the propu..ed
plan should defin", thp source of a
permant.'nt watf'r suppl... for lands in
Californi.t and that the Colorado River
watN district which had be",n
propowd lor thp Mea could be a
source for a permanent water sUDplv,
Other dctivities mcluded
stabilization oi ri\-pr banks at
numerous minor reaches and planning
ior access control and C,lODe portage
trail... at pxisting b,lCkw,lIE'rs. ThE'
Bur(>au of Reclamdtion also reopened
(hI' lake \.-100va1\'a dredging proposal
bv resuming work on d revised
environmental impact stJtempnt. The
Bureau's lhree-vear research program
on the efiects 01 \-E'getdllon t~pes and
mJnagemenl on wildlife along the
lower Colorado RivN was contmued
b\-' the contrJctor, Arizona State
Uni\-ersit~.

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