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Among the Department of the Interior's major responsibilities is managing large scale public water systems and projects in the West that provide more than 31 million people in 17 Western States with water for residential, industrial, agricultural, environmental, and recreational needs as well as reliable flood control systems and inexpensive renewable hydropower.
One of the largest systems operated by Interior's Bureau of Reclamation manages the waters of the Colorado River through a series of dams, power plants, reservoirs and canal systems that provide 25 million people with vital water and power supplies. Major facilities include Lake Powell reservoir behind Glen Canyon Dam and the Lake Mead reservoir behind Hoover Dam.
Secretary Kempthorne Signs Historic Decision
For
New Colorado River Management
Strategies
![“This is the most important agreement among the seven basin states since the original Colorado River Compact of 1922,” said Kempthorne, noting that the decision memorializes “a remarkable consensus” not only to solve current problems but also to prepare ahead of time for future droughts or surpluses rather than resorting to disruptive litigation. Pictured left to right, Secretary Kempthorne; Dennis J. Strong, Director, Utah Division of Water Resources; Estevan R. Lopez, Director, Interstate Stream Commission, State of New Mexico. [Photo Credit: Andy Pernick/Reclamation]](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/eot2008/20081103234759im_/http://www.doi.gov/images/colorado-river-affirmation-.jpg) |
“This is the most important agreement among the
seven basin states since the original Colorado River Compact of 1922,” said
Kempthorne, noting that the decision memorializes “a remarkable consensus” not
only to solve current problems but also to prepare ahead of time for future
droughts or surpluses rather than resorting to disruptive litigation. Pictured
left to right, Secretary Kempthorne; Dennis J. Strong, Director, Utah Division
of Water Resources; Estevan R. Lopez, Director, Interstate Stream Commission,
State of New Mexico.
[Photo Credit: Andy Pernick/Reclamation] |
On Dec. 13, 2007 Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne signed an historic
decision that will implement innovative strategies for management of the Colorado
River, reflecting “a remarkable consensus” among stakeholders about
sharing water during the current drought and charting a water management course
for the future.
“This is the most important agreement among the seven basin states since
the original Colorado River Compact of 1922,” said Kempthorne, noting
that his decision memorializes “a remarkable consensus” not only
to solve current problems but also to prepare ahead of time for future droughts
or surpluses rather than resorting to disruptive litigation.
Signed at the Colorado River Water Users Association’s annual meeting
in Las Vegas, Nev., the Record of Decision activates a legal agreement among
the basin states that contains a provision in which they firmly commit to address
future controversies on the river through consultation and negotiation before
initiating any litigation.
“As the Colorado River navigates a 1,500-mile journey down mountains
through canyons and across desert landscapes, you have navigated the shoals
of history,” Kempthorne said in addressing the meeting. “You have
steered around the cataracts and sharp boulders of litigation and acrimony.
You have found the serene waters of partnership and cooperation. “
The decision implements new, interim operational guidelines to meet the challenges
of the current eight-year drought in the basin and, potentially, low-water
conditions caused by continued drought or other causes in the future. The rules,
which take effect immediately, will be in place through 2026.
“This is truly an historic moment,” the Secretary added. “These
guidelines not only address the ongoing drought, they also encourage and promote
water conservation. The signing of this document is being viewed by everyone
in this room today but soon will be reviewed by people across the nation and
throughout the world. It is that significant and that historic.”
The Secretary noted that representatives at a recent World Bank meeting expressed
an interest in innovations contained in the plan.
The Record of Decision adopts four key elements of river management.
First, the new guidelines establish rules for shortages – specifying
who will take reductions and when they take them. This is essential for prudent
water planning in times of drought.
Second, the new operational rules for Lake Powell and Lake Mead will allow
these two massive reservoirs to rise and fall in tandem, thereby better sharing
the risk of drought.
Third, the new guidelines establish rules for surpluses, so that if the basin
is blessed with ample runoff, the Department of the Interior will have rules
in place to distribute the extra water.
Fourth, the new rules will address the ongoing drought by encouraging new
initiatives for water conservation.
“I am particularly impressed by the innovative approaches you have taken
to conserve water, especially the construction project known as Drop 2,” the
Secretary told state leaders. The Drop 2 project will be located in California,
but it is being paid for by Nevada. It will create an important reservoir to
conserve additional water for Nevada’s use over the next two decades.
After that, the additional water will benefit all water users in the lower
basin states. “This is truly an innovative example of cooperation among
states….that may help other states facing shortages meet their needs,” the
Secretary added.
Other conservation measures in the guidelines include an agreement allowing
water users to obtain future credit for conserving water and leaving it in
Lake Mead. The Record of Decision also sets up a framework to allow cities
to contract with willing farmers to temporarily fallow fields in dry years
while respecting the basin’s agricultural heritage.
Specifics in the guidelines include the elevations in Lake Mead at which the
Secretary would declare shortages in the Lower Basin, as well as what those
shortages would be. The guidelines also specify the conditions under which
Lakes Powell and Mead will be operated, with the intent of operating the reservoirs
to avoid the risk of water curtailments in the Upper Basin and minimize shortages
in the Lower Basin. The guidelines provide a mechanism that encourages water
conservation in Lake Mead in the Lower Basin to minimize the likelihood and
severity of potential future shortages; and modify and extend the Interim Surplus
Guidelines, implemented in 2001, through 2026
Secretary Kempthorne emphasized the importance of the decision, which facilitates
setting “an innovative example of cooperation among states…. As
other states – and other countries – struggle to resolve their
water issues in the coming decades, they will look to the cooperation among
the basin states as a model. A way to embrace consensus rather than conflict.
To conserve and share water rather than fight over water. To ensure that everyone
walks away from the table a winner.”
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