Debate over Colorado River cutbacks centers on whether water lost to evaporation should be counted. Changing the formula would hit California hard.
As climate change and overuse threaten the Colorado River, Native American tribes seek a larger role in the river’s stewardship.
The Imperial Irrigation District holds some of the most senior water rights on the river, dating to 1901. Under the existing water-rights system, that makes the district among the last in line to be required to take cuts in a shortage.As the federal government pushes states to reduce usage of dwindling Colorado River water, Imperial Valley farmers fear a “worst-case” scenario.
“It would affect us disproportionately,” said Bill Hasencamp, MWD’s manager of Colorado River resources. “This isn’t a be-all, end-all proposal. And frankly, Reclamation is going to have a hard time modeling this proposal.” The dispute has roots in the agreements, court decisions and rules that govern how the river is managed.
But in the three Lower Basin states, Kuhn said, those losses were never considered as part of the water delivery contracts. The amount of water used has been calculated as the amount diverted minus return flows to the river — which happens in farming areas such as Blythe, were water flows off farmlands and runs back into the Colorado.
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