Colorado surplus must be divided

Friday, Dec. 18, 1998 | 11:24 a.m.

A Southern Nevada water official was cautious, but optimistic, that three Lower Colorado River Basin states can write guidelines to handle surpluses on the Colorado River in the next six months, avoiding a federal dictate.

Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt set the deadline Thursday for California, Nevada and Arizona to work in cooperation to hammer out details for handling annual surpluses on the river at the Colorado River Water Users Association meeting in Las Vegas.

California has drawn more than 5 million acre-feet a year from the river that supplies seven states and Mexico with a total of 7.5 million acre-feet of water.

By letting the states hash it out, Southern California can keep its aqueduct full to satisfy farmers and ranchers and Nevada -- allowed only 300,000 acre-feet a year by law -- can receive fairer treatment, he said.

California could take the extra river water each year when the Interior secretary declared a surplus on the river, as Babbitt did for 1999.

While Nevada has never taken extra water, rapid growth in Arizona and Nevada have water officials scrambling to squeeze every drop from the river.

Southern Nevada Water Authority General Manager Pat Mulroy said six states produced a proposal Dec. 4 giving equal treatment to Las Vegas and the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California when surpluses are declared by the Interior secretary. The states include Nevada, Wyoming, Utah, New Mexico, Colorado and Arizona.

It's now up to California to agree so guidelines may be written, she said.

California has anticipated that it would rely on available surpluses to keep its aqueducts full and, step-by-step, reduce river demand to 4.8 million acre feet by 2015.

"It is unfair for California to manipulate this process," Mulroy said. "They have to realize they are one of seven sovereign states."

Nevada's biggest worry is when severe drought shrinks western water supplies, Mulroy said. "What are they going to do when the Colorado's levels drop?" she asked.

Bureau of Reclamation Regional Director Robert Johnson said although the guidelines have not been written, there are ways to share the Colorado with each state and urban areas will have priority in case of drought.

Babbitt said he feels comfortable with a state-run process for surplus guidelines.

"I prefer to be the facilitator of success and not the river-master issuing dictates from afar," Babbitt said. The Bureau of Reclamation will propose surplus guidelines in cooperation with the river states in public meetings.

But the secretary drew the line if the states fail to agree.

"If the states are unable to agree within that time frame, I shall exercise my responsibility and issue surplus guidelines, giving due regard to the views expressed by the various basin states," Babbitt said.

Babbitt has warned California to trim its water use and announced a major agreement Thursday between Imperial and Coachella Valley irrigators and urban interests. The farmers and ranchers have six months to set the caps on their water use.

"Considering the intensity that marks the Colorado River wars, I would classify the progress to date as a minor miracle," he said.

Mulroy considered the caps on agricultural use of the river a major milestone.

But the next six months are filled with uncertainty. "The devil's in the details," she said of the coming negotiations in Southern California.

"There's no snow in Colorado's Rocky Mountains," Mulroy said. "What if this is the beginning of a drought?"