Final
Allocation of Colorado River Compact Shortage
COMMITTEE ON
JOINT AGRICULTURE AND NATURAL RESOURCES
Votes:
Action Taken:
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07:34 AM -- Drought in the Colorado River Basin
Mark Limbaugh, Deputy Commissioner of the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, introduced his staff and provided an update on drought impacts in the Colorado River Basin (Attachment A). He described the provisions of the interstate compacts that allocate water in the Colorado River Basin and explained Secretary of the Interior, Gale Norton's request for Colorado and other states to develop proposals to address the water shortage in the basin.
07:40 AM
Rick Gold, Regional Director, Upper Colorado Region of the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, described water resources and federal storage projects in the Colorado River Basin (Attachment B, pages 1 through 8). He also described the effect of the current drought that has reduced storage in the basin to half of its capacity. For example, as of March 1, 2005, water storage in Lake Powell is 34 percent of capacity. He also described the compact allocation and water delivery obligations of Colorado and other upper basin states. Committee discussion followed about projected inflow into Lake Powell and the department's delivery from the reservoir to the lower basin states of 8.24 million acre-feet. Mr. Gold also compared the role of the Secretary of the U.S. Department Interior for allocation of water in the upper and lower basin states.
07:59 AM
Bob Johnson, Regional Director, Lower Colorado Region, U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, described water resources and storage projects in the Lower Basin of the Colorado River Basin (Attachment B, pages 8 through 12). He described the drought's effect in the lower basin and the operation of Lake Mead including the 2001 interim surplus guidelines . He also described efforts to develop lower basin shortage guidelines. Committee discussion followed about the United States' water delivery obligations to the Nation of Mexico and water restrictions and conservation programs in the lower basin states in response to the drought.
08:20 AM
Mr. Limbaugh responded to questions regarding the ability of upper basin states to build additional storage and the feasibility of desalination to meet water demands in the lower basin states. Mr. Gold also described the authority of the Secretary of Interior to order changes to the operation of Lake Mead.
08:29 AM
Russell George, Executive Director of the Colorado Department of Natural Resources, described Colorado's negotiations with other Colorado River Basin states to respond to the drought and water allocation and delivery obligations.
Scott Balcomb, Colorado's representative on the Upper Colorado River Compact Commission, described negotiations to develop water shortage rules in the Colorado River Basin. He also described water deliveries to lower basin states in the previous 10 years. Mr. Johnson described the U.S. Department of Interior's review of states' proposals to develop responses to water shortages in the Colorado River Basin.
08:46 AM
The meeting adjourned.