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Western Governors’ Association Western States Water Council Conference on:

Western Governors’ Association Western States Water Council Conference on:. Irvine, California November 15-17, 2006. Evolving Technologies and Emerging Issues. Focus of Presentation. Briefly, discuss the importance of the Colorado River to California

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Western Governors’ Association Western States Water Council Conference on:

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  1. Western Governors’ AssociationWestern States Water CouncilConference on: Irvine, California November 15-17, 2006 Evolving Technologies and Emerging Issues

  2. Focus of Presentation • Briefly, discuss the importance of the Colorado River to California • The focus of the presentation will be on the Lower Colorado Water Supply Project

  3. Importance of the Colorado River • Provides about 50 percent of the water used in southern California • Serves over 18 million people in seven counties • Provides water for about 900,000 acres of cropland • Provides about 3.5 billion kWh of hydroelectric energy • Supports fish, wildlife, and recreational resources • Supports a southern California service area economy in excess of $700 billion

  4. Southern

  5. What is the Lower Colorado Water Supply Project?

  6. Historic Perspective • 1928 Boulder Canyon Project Act • Authorized the construction of Hoover Dam and the All-American Canal • Required all users of Colorado River water to have a contract with the Secretary of the Interior • 1931 California Seven Party Agreement • Colorado River water was apportioned among entities in California • Mid 1930s • Agencies in California entered into contracts with the Secretary of the Interior

  7. } 1 PVID 2 Yuma Project 3(a) IID & CVWD 3(b) PVID 3.850 4.4 California’s 1931 Seven Party Agreement 1931 Agr. Priority(maf/yr) 4 MWD 0.550 5 MWD 0.662 6 IID, CVWD, PVID 0.300 7 Additional Ag Use --

  8. Historic Perspective(continued) • It is important to note that the 1931 California Seven Party Agreement did not take into account the existence of present perfected and other water rights along the River • 1964 U.S. Supreme Court Decree in Arizona v. California • Apportioned Colorado River mainstream water among Arizona, California, and Nevada • Recognized present perfected rights – those water rights that existed prior to 1929 • Recognized Indian Winters and Federally decreed rights • Affirmed the need to have a contract with the Secretary of the Interior

  9. Historic Perspective(continued) • 1979, 1984, & 2000 Supplemental Decrees and the 2006 Consolidated Decree in Arizona v. California • Quantified the present perfected rights and the Winters and Federally established rights recognized in the 1964 Decree • 1980s • Recognized that Needles and others along the Colorado River did not have rights for their current and future water supply needs • 1986 Lower Colorado Water Supply Project Act • Authorized up to 10,000 acre-feet of exchange water to be made available to eligible entities along the Colorado River in California • 2001 • Began process for subcontracting for LCWSP water

  10. Lower Colorado Water Supply Project Lower Colorado Water Supply Project Coachella Canal

  11. Inventoried Pumping Wells • Arizona • 1,457 wells • California • 1,386 wells • Nevada • 4 wells • Total • 2,847 wells

  12. Inventoried River Pumpers • Arizona • 91 pumpers • California • 182 pumpers • Nevada • 1 pumper • Total • 274 pumpers

  13. Project Operations(continued) • The City of Needles has agreed to be the sole contractor for LCWSP water in the three county area for all of the non-federal entities • Based upon recommendations of eligibility to receive project water from the CRB and approval from the USBR, Needles enters into subcontracts with the Project beneficiaries • Needles performs all of the administration and accounting for the Project • Through the subcontracts, Project water is being attached to the land; so if there is a change in ownership, water will continue to be available on these lands • The Bureau of Land Management and USBR also have contracts to receive Project water in California

  14. Proposed Rule Regarding Non-Contract Water Use • USBR has initiated rule-making process to address non-contract water uses along the Colorado River in AZ, CA, and NV • USBR estimates up to 30 kaf/yr may be used by non-contract users – 10 kaf in California • CRB and others have submitted a comment letters supporting the USBR the process to eliminate non-contract use of Colorado River water

  15. Need for LCWSP • LCWSP gives California the means to provide a legal water entitlement to the unauthorized non-agricultural uses along the Colorado River in California • Without this Project: • Existing uses along the River could be terminated • Politically and socially this would be a bad situation • Also entities, such as the City of Needles might not have a water supply to meet its future growth

  16. Applicable Elsewhere • This type of water exchange project can be used in other locations and in other states to meet existing and future water supply needs • Lower Colorado River Basin states are looking at similar projects to augment the existing water supply from the Colorado River to meet future critical water supply needs • In these times of limited water supplies we need to look at all options

  17. Thank You

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