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DECEMBER 15, 2000

Secretary of Interior Bruce Babbitt on Thursday announced a plan that will potentially settle a decades-old water dispute between seven Western states.

Speaking at the annual meeting of the Colorado River Water Users Association, Babbitt said the plan will help resolve differences among the states over the usage of water on the Colorado River. Of primary importance is the reduction of California's use of the river.

For almost a decade, California has been taking more than its appropriated share of the river. Allowed 4.4 million acre-feet under a 1922 compact between the states, the state last year drew about 5.4 million acre-feet from the river.

To bring the state back in line with its legally mandated water usage, water officials there have proposed the "4:4 Plan," calling for increased water conservation, water transfers between agricultural and municipal districts. But since it would take 16 years to implement fully, the state will continue to seek surplus declarations from the Interior.

California's usage has been a major sticking point in the West, where water is a prized and highly litigated resource. It also has raised the eyebrows of Babbitt, who has criticized the state for its usage, and the government, who have attempted to increase the amount of water allocated for reservations on the river.

By a 6-3 vote, the Supreme Court in June ruled in favor of the United States and the tribes, over the objections of Arizona and California. The ruling in particular affects the water rights of the Quechan Nation on the Fort Yuma Reservation in Arizona.

The Interior today is proposing new rules on the criteria used to make surplus declarations on the Colorado River. The comment period ends January and Babbitt is expected to approve them before he leaves office.

A final environmental impact statement will be available online at www.lc.usbr.gov and at www.uc.usbr.gov.

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Related Stories:
Court upholds water rights (Enviro 06/20)
Court set to rule on water rights (Enviro 06/19)
Water rights on Supreme Court docket (Tribal Law 04/25)

Relevant Links:
Colorado River Water Users Association - - crwua.mwd.dst.ca.us