California's Colorado River Water Use Plan

Why Has California Developed a Colorado River Water Use Plan?

In years when the Secretary of the Interior does not declare a surplus on the Colorado River, California has a basic apportionment of Colorado River water of 4.4 million acre-feet. Under a "surplus" condition, California has an apportionment of 50 percent of the surplus water made available to the three Lower Basin states (California, Arizona, and Nevada). In addition, the Secretary of the Interior may allow California to utilize unused portions of the basic and surplus apportionments of Arizona and Nevada.

California's annual use of Colorado River water has ranged from 4.5 to 5.2 million acre-feet over the last 10 years. Past and current use of up to 5.2 million acre-feet per year has been possible when surplus conditions occur on the Colorado River and water apportioned to, but unused by, Arizona and Nevada is available.

Recently, Arizona has begun full use of its basic apportionment, and Nevada is fast approaching full use of its entitlement and surplus allocation. Therefore, California has to reduce its dependence on Colorado River water to 4.4 million acre-feet in normal years.

The California Plan

The Colorado River Board of California has developed a draft document entitled California's Colorado River Water Use Plan (generally known as the California Plan). It identifies how the local agencies that contract with the Secretary of the Interior for Colorado River water will reduce, over time, their use of that water to the State's basic apportionment of 4.4 million acre feet in years when surplus Colorado River water or unused water apportioned to Arizona and Nevada is not available.

Plan Elements

The Plan outlines specific projects and programs, milestones, and Colorado River water use reduction goals.

A critical element of the California Plan is the execution of a Quantification Settlement Agreement together with related agreements (QSA package) by several California Colorado River contractors. Among other matters, the QSA package, for its effective period, makes specific changes to intrastate allocations of water provided in the Seven Party Agreement of 1931.

The Plan framework encompasses and relies heavily on:

• further quantification of California agencies' right and use of Colorado River water where helpful to facilitate the optimum use of California's Colorado River resources;
• cooperative core water supply programs and voluntary transfers;
• increased efficiencies in water conveyance and use (such as canal linings);
• water storage and conjunctive use programs to increase normal and dry year water supplies;
• water exchanges;
• administrative actions necessary for effective use and management of water supplies;
• improved reservoir management and operations;
• drought and surplus water management plans;
• coordinated project operations for increased water supply yield;
• groundwater management;
• Colorado River salinity control and watershed protection.

Who Is the Colorado River Board?

The Colorado River Board of California consists of 10 members appointed by the Governor: one from each of the six major public agencies with rights to the use of water and power from the Colorado River (City of Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, Coachella Valley Water District, Imperial Irrigation District, Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, Palo Verde Irrigation District, and San Diego County Water Authority), two from the general public, and the Directors of the California Departments of Water Resources and Fish and Game.

Status

The draft Plan will be finalized following completion of the environmental reviews and the subsequent execution of agreements associated with the Plan that are scheduled to take place by the end of 2002.

For further information, contact:

Charles Keene
E-mail: chuckk@water.ca.gov
Phone: 818 500-1645 x235

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Last modified: October 4, 2002
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