Back to Winter 2013 Newsletter
New Grand Canyon High Flow Experiment Started
On November 18, 2012, the Grand Canyon experienced a highflow release of water from Glen Canyon Dam. This release was part of a restoration experiment by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation in cooperation with U.S. Geological Survey’s Grand Canyon Monitoring and Research Center, the National Park Service, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The purpose of the experiment is to restore sandbars and beaches in the Grand Canyon for habitat and recreation. A new protocol developed by Reclamation calls for a series of simulated floods through 2020. The protocol allows flood releases on short notice and without extensive environmental review when conditions meet predetermined criteria. The floods are expected to redistribute sediments in a manner similar to natural, pre-dam conditions. Before the construction of the Glen Canyon Dam in 1966, spring floods transported large amounts of sediment that created natural sandbars. Since then, beaches have eroded and sandbars have been disappearing, causing negative impacts on native fish and recreation. Similar experiments were conducted in 1996, 2004, and 2008 and yielded findings that indicate a program of well-timed high flows could reverse some of the damage. Monitoring, data collection and analysis will continue throughout the program to contribute to adaptive management of the affected area.
Cooperative Problem Solving Sustains U.S.-Mexico Agreement
On Tuesday, November 20, 2012, the United States and Mexico signed an agreement on management and use of the Colorado River, demonstrating their strong commitment to cooperation. Known as Minute 319, the agreement refines the 1944 treaty that divided flow in the river between Mexico and the United States, allotting approximately 10 percent of the Colorado River flow to Mexico. Minute 319 builds on previous agreements to resolve a number of issues. The agreement was developed and facilitated by the U.S. and Mexico Sections of the International Boundary and Water Commission. Provisions extend for a five-year period, with the expectation that another agreement will be concluded at the end of that time.
Minute 319 brings Mexico into agreements for sharing shortages and surpluses among the users of the river. Its basis is Minute 318, signed in 2011, which allowed water districts in Mexico to store water in Lake Mead while Mexico rebuilds earthquake-damaged infrastructure. In Minute 319, the waterstorage terms in the earlier agreement have been expanded. Mexico will continue storing unused Colorado River water in Lake Mead and agrees to voluntarily share in shortages as well as surpluses on the river. In addition, the agreement creates a mechanism for Mexico to store water in the United States resulting from conservation and new water projects. Minute 319 also provides for irrigation improvements in Mexico in exchange for access to conserved water in the United States. Water districts on the Lower Colorado River in the United States: Central Arizona Project, the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California and Southern Nevada Water Authority, will contribute $21 million to Mexico for canal lining and land fallowing in the Mexicali Valley. In return, the U.S. districts will receive about 95,000 acre-feet of additional Colorado River water over five years.
Environmental interests on both sides of the border were encouraged by provisions in Minute 319 that provide for restoration of the Colorado River delta. Minute 319 includes the agreement worked out among the U.S., Mexico, non-governmental organizations, and the seven Colorado River basin states to set aside water needed for environmentally sensitive areas in the Colorado River Delta. It is hoped that investments in this fiveyear pilot initiative will lay the groundwork for extensive future restoration.
HB 2338 Would Help Augment Rural Water Supplies
A bill, introduced in the Arizona legislature as House Bill 2338, provides the framework for creation of voluntary Regional Water Augmentation Authorities, enabling rural Arizona to finance needed water projects. House Speaker Andy Tobin introduced the bill to implement recommendations of the bipartisan Arizona Water Resources Development Commission he initiated in 2010. The WRDC released its Supplemental Report in September 2012 and Tobin’s bill deals with the report’s major recommendations. In addition to authorizing regional water augmentation authorities, the bill asks for a $30 million general fund appropriation for the Water Supply Development Revolving Fund. The augmentation authorities could then get low-interest loans from the fund. The Prescott Daily Courier quoted Tobin as stating that the legislature might need to continue to add $30 million a year for as long as a decade to provide funds for the water supply expansion projects identified by the WRDC. Membership in the regional water augmentation authorities is proposed to be voluntary and may include Arizona cities, towns, private water utilities, other statutorily defined water providers, private entities, counties and State, Tribal and Federal entities.
Major Colorado River Basin Study Released
In December 2012, the Department of Interior released the Colorado River Basin Water Supply and Demand Study. This three-year long study found multiple indications that the basin will become more vulnerable in terms of water reliability, hydroelectric power generation, recreation, and river flows over the 50-year planning horizon. Study objectives included assessing Colorado River supply and demand imbalances, considering impacts of climate change, and identifying ways to resolve imbalances. The study serves as a call to action for an integrated planning process. Forty million people depend on the Colorado River for water and power. Recognizing the importance of the river to the people of the basin, the Bureau of Reclamation engaged with hundreds of stakeholders from agricultural, environmental and energy sectors, tribal groups and water agencies. Their input throughout the study process was incorporated into published interim reports and technical updates, as well as this final report.
According to the report, by 2060, without action, there will be significant imbalances between demand and supply with an average gap of 3.2 million acre-feet per year. Water conservation and reuse opportunities are insufficient alone to solve the problem, but the combination of augmentation, conservation, and reuse could significantly reduce risk of future imbalances. The report can be viewed at http://www.usbr.gov/lc/region/programs/crbstudy.html.