Urban Water Institute Colorado River Lower Basin Issues Tanya Trujillo Colorado River Board of California February 10, 2016

Colorado River Basin Background Domestic water for 35 million people Los Angeles/San Diego, CA Denver, CO Salt Lake City, UT Albuquerque, NM Irrigation of 5.5 million acres Hydropower Habitat and Recreation Water for 22 Tribes

Colorado River Basin Apportionments Lower Basin Allocations California = 4.4 million af/a Arizona = 2.8 million af/a Nevada = 300,000 af/a Upper Basin Allocations Colorado = 52% Utah = 23% Wyoming = 14% New Mexico = 11% Mexico = 1.5 million af/a

Colorado River Basin Law of the River 1922 Colorado River Basin Compact 1928 Lower Basin Boulder Canyon Project Act 1944 Treaty with Mexico 1948 Upper Basin Compact 1964 Arizona v California Decree 1968 Basin Project Act

Colorado River Board of California Established by the California Legislature in 1937 California Water Code designates membership and purpose Mission: to protect the interests and rights of the State of California, its agencies and citizens, in the water and power resources of the Colorado River System

1. Palo Verde ID (104,500 acres valley) 2. Yuma Project 3. (a) Imperial ID/Coachella Valley WD (b) PVID (16,000 acres mesa) 3.85 maf 4. Metropolitan WD.55 maf Basic Apportionment 4.40 maf 5. Metropolitan WD.66 maf 6. IID/CVWD/PVID.30 maf 7. Agricultural Use California’s Colorado River Allocations 1931 Agreement

Colorado River Uses in California Colorado River water provides: Irrigation for 800,000 acres of farmland Domestic water for approximately 20 million people 3.5 billion kwh of hydroelectric power Fish and wildlife habitat Opportunities for recreation and tourism Uses protected by interstate and intrastate agreements: 4.4 Plan Quantification Settlement Agreement 2007 Coordinated Operation Guidelines

Existing Lower Basin Programs 1999 Storage and Interstate Release Agreements 2001 Interim Surplus Guidelines 2004 System Conservation Pilot 2007 Coordinated Operations Guidelines 2012 Minute 319/Mexico 2014 System Conservation Pilot

Colorado River Uses in California California’s 4.4 Plan Transfers Interstate banking Efficiency projects/canal lining Conservation Fallowing

CA WATER TRANSFERS SDCWA IID to CVWD: Up to 103,000 af/yr PVID to MWD: Up to 131,000 af/yr IID to Salton Sea Mitigation: Up to 150,000 af/yr through 2017 IID to MWD: Up to 110,000 af/yr IID to SDCWA Up to 200,000 af/yr

Since 2003, CA has reduced its average use of Colorado River water by 800,000 af/yr CA Colorado River Agencies and State have invested over $2 billion towards conservation efforts Colorado River transfers and conservation have totaled more than 4.0 maf through 2015 CA Agencies have participated in Lower Basin programs to encourage conservation and storage Colorado River Drought Response

COLORADO RIVER AQUEDUCT (1.25 MAF) COLORADO RIVER AQUEDUCT (1.25 MAF) LOS ANGELES AQUEDUCT (0.5 MAF) LOS ANGELES AQUEDUCT (0.5 MAF) STATE WATER PROJECT (2.0 MAF) STATE WATER PROJECT (2.0 MAF) MWD Service Area MWD Service Area Bay- Delta LAKEOROVILLE

 40% of State in the “exceptional drought” category  Californians continue to meet Governor’s water conservation mandate – extended through October 2016  18.3% statewide water use reduction for December 2015 – total = [XX]  Continued public outreach efforts – “Save our Water” campaign statewide  SWP allocation increased from 10% to 15% in February State Drought Response Progress

100% SWP Allocation Near Full CRA Imported Supply Relationship for Southern California

 Uncertain hydrology  Potential for shortages  Hydropower impacts  Reduced flexibility  Water quality impacts  Need for continued cooperation:  QSA Implementation  2007 Interim Guidelines  Contingency Planning Looking Forward…..

Lower SNWA Intake 1,000 ft maf (40% of Live Capacity) 895 ft Dead Pool Elevation Lake Mead Capacity 1,219.6 ft 26.1 maf Dead Pool (2.5 maf) Inactive Pool (7.7 maf) Not to scale 136 ft 1,145 ft 34 ft 1,075 ft Shortage Conditions 1,050 ft Surplus Conditions Normal or ICS Surplus Conditions Min Power Pool 16.2 maf 1,084 ft As of Feb 1, 2016

Lower Basin Drought Planning Efforts June 2013 – Basin States met with Secretary Jewell to discuss hydrology and potential extended drought scenarios July 2014 – Pilot System Conservation Agreement BOR, MWD, CAP, SNWA, Denver Approx. 30,000 af December 2014 – Lower Basin Pilot Drought Response MOU Voluntary actions by MWD, CAP, SNWA to reduce the risk of Lake Mead reaching critical elevations Goal to develop maf of water in Lake Mead between

Lower Basin Drought Planning Efforts Continued work on MOU goals: Strengthen viability of the 2007 Interim Guidelines Store more water in Lake Mead Address operational uncertainty at low reservoir elevations Encourage more efficient operations Reduce excess deliveries to Mexico Utilize by-pass flows from Yuma area Coordinate efforts with the Upper Basin Continue cooperation with Mexico – Minute 319/Minute 32x Shortage sharing through 2017 Potential for storage in Lake Mead