Bob Johnson
Commissioner, Bureau of Reclamation
I have spent a great deal of my 30-plus-year Reclamation career on California water issues.
I believe Reclamation and California’s water leaders have successfully addressed many issues related to the state’s Colorado River water supply. Development of the Quantification Settlement Agreement and the Colorado River Surplus Operating Guidelines come immediately to mind.
And we are now engaged with MWD and other California parties in efforts to address future water needs. These include the planned lining of the All-American Canal, construction of a small storage reservoir along the All-American Canal to conserve Colorado River water that now goes unused, and development of new management tools through which entities such as MWD can develop storage credits in Lake Mead through extraordinary conservation as well as augment existing water supplies through interstate water exchanges. In fact, we already have an agreement in place with MWD to demonstrate the water credit proposal.
There is also another effort under way, an effort just as important as those listed above. Reclamation, through a public process that includes consultation with California and other Colorado River Basin state representatives as well as other interested parties, is developing shortage and coordinated management guidelines for the Colorado River. A final Environmental Impact Statement on these guidelines was issued in November 2007.
Implementation of these guidelines will: (1) provide specific criteria for the declaration of shortages (if necessary) to California, Arizona and Nevada; (2) provide a new framework for the coordinated operation of lakes Mead and Powell; (3) implement a mechanism for the storage and delivery of conserved Colorado River and non-Colorado River water in Lake Mead; and (4) modify and/or extend the interim surplus guidelines through 2025.
In February 2006, the Basin states submitted a consensus proposal for these guidelines to the Secretary of the Interior. Under the proposal, all seven states gain practical benefits. California, for example, gains the flexibility to develop storage credits in Lake Mead, enabling water to be stored for future diversion when needed. This will allow California water users to use Colorado River water in conjunction with other water supplies within the state, ultimately providing the operational flexibility to conserve significant amounts of water.
Through the environmental review process, this proposal was carefully considered, along with other alternatives. Only after fully evaluating all the alternatives and considering public input will the Secretary select and implement new operating guidelines.
As Commissioner of Reclamation, I look forward to continuing to work with the water leaders of California, the other Basin States and other stakeholders, to shape how the Colorado River will be managed in the future to help meet the region’s water needs.
