Interior Department Cuts Off Colorado Water To California -- California Capitol Hill Bulletin -- Volume 10, Bulletin 1 -- January 9, 2003

Following the Imperial Irrigation District's (IID) rejection of an agreement to decrease California's water take from the Colorado River, Secretary of the Interior Gale Norton ordered that the state's share of the water be reduced by 50 percent. See, Bulletin, Vol. 9, No. 32 (12/18/02). The Metropolitan Water District (MWD), which supplies water to 17 million people in Southern California, will lose the amount of water needed to supply 2 million people. MWD, however, has said it has sufficient water in storage to continue to supply all its customers for several years. It has also begun to boost voluntary conservation measures among its customers.

Despite the setbacks, some parties continue to be optimistic that a settlement can be reached. However, State Senators Mike Machado (Linden) and Sheila Kuehl (Santa Monica) have introduced a bill that would restrict IID's water take to 2.6 million acre-feet, roughly 20 percent less than it normally receives.

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