Deal could be water bonanza for Nevada

Thursday, March 13, 2003 | 11:18 a.m.

California and federal officials have struck a deal that could restore a supply of water to Southern Nevada large enough to take care of the needs of about 150,000 people for the next 15 years.

The water would be a welcome relief as Southern Nevada grapples with more than three years of drought that have dramatically lowered the water level of Lake Mead, local water officials said.

The deal among four California water agencies -- two urban and two rural -- and the state government is the linchpin of a larger agreement that would provide California and Nevada with 15 years of so-called "interim surplus" water -- trillions of gallons from the Colorado River above the basic state allotment.

The California agreement, called the Quantification Settlement Agreement, collapsed in December, and with it went the larger interstate pact providing the surplus water. The Interior Department, as rivermaster, cut off the surplus for both California and Nevada on Jan. 1.

Southern Nevada lost up to 37,000 acre-feet of water this year with the surplus cancellation, enough water for about 150,000 people. California lost an estimated 800,000 acre-feet, enough for 4 million people.

Assistant Interior Secretary Bennett Raley said in a conference call Wednesday that the federal government could resume delivery of the surplus water if the California agreement is signed, supported by the California Legislature, and the other six states along the Colorado River agree to the deal.

But he warned that his department still has to thoroughly review the 51 separate legal documents that make up the deal and "unknowns" could still block delivery of the surplus.

Those "unknowns" are "related to uncertainties regarding implementation," he said. "These must be addressed before we can understand this proposal and determine if it is in compliance."

As part of the deal one of the rural water agencies -- the Imperial Irrigation District in Southern California -- would have to drop its lawsuit against the Interior Department, filed after the federal government cut 200,000 acre-feet of water from the district's annual allocation.

Still, Raley said federal officials were cautiously optimistic after getting a first look at the California agreement Wednesday in Los Angeles.

Some of the questions that remain could be answered today in Las Vegas.

Agencies representing all seven Colorado River Basin states gather today at the offices of the Las Vegas Valley Water District, where the state, federal and local officials will hear more details of the settlement.

The deal hammered out over three months and announced Wednesday is very similar to a failed deal brokered Dec. 31, hours before the Interior Department shut off the surplus. Raley and Interior Secretary Gale Norton said the earlier deal was unacceptable because it had "off-ramps" that would kill the agreement as soon as one year into the pact.

The new deal eliminates those off-ramps for the Imperial Irrigation District, a farming community in Southern California that would be forced to stop growing vegetables and transfer water to San Diego under the terms of both deals.

Under the revised pact, there would be no backing out of the deal for 35 years or until all funds have been spent.

The new deal provides up to $243 million for the Imperial Valley and the preservation of that valley's Salton Sea, which under state law must be protected for environmental reasons. It is a critical wetland for migrating birds and kept alive only through Imperial Valley agricultural runoff.

The California Legislature must provide $200 million of that money. California officials said their legislature could act anytime from June 30 to Oct. 30 to approve the money.

Although finances in California are strained, Gov. Gray Davis said he believes the funding will be approved.

"I am hopeful that (state legislators) will respond positively," he said. "This was the product of very hard work over many months. They may have some ideas of their own, but they will be reminded of what a delicate balance has been struck.

"It is not uncommon in negotiations for people to have second thoughts and change their minds," Davis said, referring to both the past quarrels over the pact and the need to sell the existing agreement. "But we believe the arrangement on the table is a responsible, solid proposal, that serves the people of California and the West."

Southern Nevada Water Authority General Manager Pat Mulroy welcomed news of the revised agreement, although she cautioned that as of Wednesday night she had not seen the revised pact.

But the water authority had no issues with the earlier Dec. 31 agreement, which was similar in many details, Mulroy said.

"This is a wonderful sign and I'm very optimistic," Mulroy said. "I'm very pleased they've reached an agreement."

But, she added, "if the states throw a monkey wrench into it, then they've got problems."

The surplus is important to Nevada over the next 15 years, not just because it would provide a cushion in this fourth year of drought, Mulroy said. The water authority is counting on storing the surplus water for future needs.

The local perspective is shared by Southern California, which would use the 15 years of surplus supplies to wean itself from taking more than its basic allotment from the river.

Mulroy and federal officials, including Raley, warned that the loss of water to the Colorado River system means that the surplus may be canceled anyway because of falling water levels in Lake Mead. Officials expect that to happen in January 2004 unless the river basin gets a lot more rain and snow this year.

Recovery of the surplus for this year "is a temporary exercise," Mulroy said.

"I care about the interim surplus for the long-term perspective, a 15-year perspective."