Seven states to debate Mead water

Tuesday, April 26, 2005 | 9:46 a.m.

The seven states of the Colorado River basin will have one more opportunity today to argue how much water Lake Mead should get before a final decision comes from the federal government, probably later this week.

The upper basin states of Colorado, Utah, Wyoming and New Mexico have argued that the federal Bureau of Reclamation should reduce the 8.23 million acre-feet originally planned for sending from Lake Powell to Lake Mead in last year's annual operating plan. The upper basin states argue that less should be sent to give Powell, two-thirds empty because of the western drought, time to recover.

However, the lower basin states of California, Arizona and Nevada have said that higher than average rain and snowfall this winter mean there is less need to reduce the impact on Powell and the previously agreed to amount should be sent down from Powell.

Interior Secretary Gale Norton had requested, but doesn't appear likely to receive, a consensus recommendation from all seven states on how much water to send down from the upper reservoir.

Under the annual operating plan agreed to last year, Interior agreed to host a final consultative meeting to hear recommendations from the states. Kip White, Interior spokesman, said that is the meeting scheduled for today at McCarran International Airport.

"This is the final consultative meeting," White said. "Information from the meeting will be used by the secretary when she makes her decision, probably later this week."