Pacific Southwest Water Plan Section Analysis

Document: Committee Print, Pacific Southwest Water Plan Section Analysis, page 55 PACIFIC SOUTHWEST WATER PLAN (1) Exports are subordinated to the consumptive use needs of water-sheds of origin if other waters are not available for satisfaction of those needs; (2) financial assistance will be available from the development fund for future irrigation projects in the watersheds of origin, if necessary and not otherwise provided; and (3) financial support will be available from the development fund to offset added costs, if any, resulting to future projects for the benefit of areas of origin, or for the benefit of the State of California insofar as the State's total water supply is diminished, that result from preemption of lower cost sources. (e) Southern Nevada water supply project and the Moapa Valley pumping project, Nevada.--In the case of the southern Nevada water supply project, the provisions relative to a contract with the State of Nevada, acting through its Colorado River Commission or other duly authorized State agency, are designed to provide for such an arrangement on terms essentially similar to those prevailing under the usual conservancy or master-type district arrangement with the Bureau of Reclamation. The Moapa Valley pumping project would be conditionally authorized pending completion of a feasibility grade report. (f) Dixie project, Utah.--Authority is included for necessary measures as a reimbursable cost to dispose of the saline waters from La Verkin Springs or to indemnify downstream water users. (g) Recreation and fish and wildlife.--This subsection authorizes recreation and fish and wildlife developments as part of the initial plan. It is similar in scope and purpose to section 8 of the Colorado River Storage Project Act, but has been modified in light of the proposed Federal Water Project Recreation Act (H.R. 9032). A specific reservation of Colorado River water is directed for non-Federal fish and wildlife uses in the region outside of California. The total of 84,000 acre-feet annually for this use would be reserved as follows: Arizona, 57,000 acre-feet; Nevada, 22,000 acre-feet; and New Mexico, 5,000 acre-feet. Availability of this water in each State will be dependent upon the amounts of main-stream water required to supply rights under the decree of the Supreme Court in Arizona v. California et al., existing on the date of enactment of this act. California is excluded from the reservation because water for this purpose as proposed in the fish and wildlife report would be available under the decree only on an interim basis in the absence of modification of the California Colorado River water delivery contracts through accommodation among the California water users. Availability of water for this purpose in New Mexico will require modification, by agreement of the appropriate parties, of the decree in Arizona v. California et al. Recreation is not included because consumptive use of water solely for this purpose is nominal. No further statutory authority is required to reserve water for these purposes in connection with Federal programs, subject to the decree in Arizona v. California et al. (h) Indian irrigation projects.--Extension of the Colorado River and construction of the White River Indian irrigation projects are included as part of the regional plan.Epson Perfection 4870 Photo, 400 dpi, 8 bit, 1,767,953 byte