A Bill to Approve a Regional Approach to the Development of the Water Resources of the Pacific Southwest and to Authorize Features of the Initial Pacific Southwest Water Plan

Document: A Bill To approve a regional approach to the development of the water resources of the Pacific Southwest and to authorize features of the Initial Pacific Southwest Water Plan, 1-29-64, page 24River 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. (f) Dixie project, Utah. Authority is included for necessary measures to dispose of the saline waters from La Verkin Springs or to indemnify downstream water users. Financial assistance will be available to the project from the Development Fund. (g) Recreation and fish and wildlife. This subsection authorizes general recreation and fish and wildlife developments in addition to those directly associated with reservoir projects. It is similar in scope and purpose to section 8 of the Colorado River Storage Project Act. A specific reservation of Colorado River water is directed for non-Federal fish and wildlife use. The total of 256,000 acre-feet annually for this use would be reserved as follows: Arizona, 57,000 acre-feet; California, 172,000 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 water required to supply, in accordance with the decision of the Supreme Court in Arizona v. California, et al., all rights existing on the date of enactment of this Act. In California, therefore, water for this purpose would be available only on an interim basis, in the absence of modification of the California Colorado River water 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 White River Indian irrigation projects are included as part of the regional plan. Priority Planning Section 4 directs that priority shall be given in planning projects on tributaries of the Colorado where local water supplies exist or can be made available by replacement or exchange, such as is contemplated under the Central Arizona project. Also, planning for projects which will utilize water by diversion from the mainstream or otherwise meet water deficiencies shall be expedited. The 4Epson Perfection 4870 Photo, 400 dpi, 8 bit, 1,322,625 byte