27 May 2009

Water, Power from Colorado River Vital to California's Economy

Drought forces state to consider ways to boost water availability

 

An aerial view of the All-American Canal, which may be used for water storage.

An aerial view of the All-American Canal, which may be used for water storage.

By Nancy L. Pontius
Special Correspondent

Littleton, Colorado — About 18 million people in Southern California — more than half the state's population— receive water and hydroelectric energy from the Colorado River. However, the state is now in its third consecutive year of drought, which caused Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger to proclaim a state of emergency.

In addition to the drought, California faces a significant challenge in meeting cities’ needs for water because of the effects of a growing population and climate changes, Jerry Zimmerman, executive director of the Colorado River Board of California, told America.gov. “The cities have a fixed water supply from the river, while their population has been growing.”

“Historically, California had been using about 5.3 million acre-feet [6,537 million cubic meters] from the Colorado River because the upper and lower basin states were not fully utilizing their Colorado River Compact apportionment,” Zimmerman said.

The 1964 U.S. Supreme Court decree in Arizona v. California limited California’s normal-year share of the Colorado River to 5,427 million cubic meters (4.4 million acre-feet). That ruling also provided that if surplus water exists, this water can be made available to the lower basin states, which include California.

The federal government and basin states agreed in 2001 that California would receive surplus water while the state implemented a 15-year plan to reduce use of Colorado River water to the state’s permitted level. But a drought occurred in the Colorado River Basin and this surplus no longer was available.

While cities in Southern California are working hard to find more water, the largest percentage of Colorado River water is designated for irrigation of hundreds of thousands of hectares that produce primarily fruits, hay and vegetables for the rest of the country.

One diversion that brings irrigation water from the Colorado River is the All-American Canal in the southeastern corner of the state. This irrigation canal — one of the largest in the world — is owned by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation and operated by the state’s Imperial Irrigation District.

Competition for water within the state has occurred for decades. In 1931, the California Seven Party Agreement helped settle a long-standing conflict between agricultural and municipal interests and helped to allocate Colorado River water within the state.

To manage its competing, growing water demands, the state has implemented a number of programs, including water-saving agricultural practices. Some farmers let their land lie fallow and are paid for their unused water that is then transferred to cities. Another ambitious program allows municipalities to fund the lining of dirt irrigation canals. The water saved is transferred to the cities that paid for this improvement.

The Colorado River Board of California represents the state in negotiations regarding Colorado River management.

More information is available at the Colorado River Board of California Web site.