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Show CHAPTER XIV 227 terim period, or until the water is needed by California or when irrigation diversions are decreased as the Central Arizona Project goes into operation (Serial No. 93-45, pages 137 and 138, and 204). The hearings before the House of Representatives Subcommittee on Water and Power Resources of the Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs of March 4, 5 and 8, 1974 (Serial No. 93-45), were followed by House Report No. 93-1057 dated May 22, 1974. The Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs reported favorably on H.R. 12165 which included Title I -"Programs Downstream from Imperial Dam...to deal directly with implementation of Minute No. 242..." and Title II - "Measures Upstream from Imperial Dam." The Title II provisions were not included in the Administration's proposed bill (see Appendix 1402 for text of this bill). D. Amendments to H.R. 12165 The Committee incorporated in its recommended bill some of the provisions requested by parties appearing before it. These included: Section 101(b) (j) - in connection with the authority to acquire lands in the Painted Rock Reservoir references were inserted to the obligations of Minute No. 242. Section 101 (c) - limitations were added to the area to be studied to replace the reject stream waters, similar to those in the Colorado River Basin Project Act; i.e., "...potential sources within the States of Arizona, California, Colorado, New Mexico, and those portions of Nevada, Utah, and Wyoming which are within the natural drainage basin of the Colorado River." Section 101 (e) - authorized the "exchange" of surplus desalted waters rather than its "disposal" and provided the city of Yuma, Arizona, with a first right of refusal thereto. However, the House Committee Report No. 93-1057 stated that the incremental energy cost associated with the production of the surplus water would represent a reasonable charge. Section 101(f)(2) - a requirement for consent of the Wellton-Mohawk Irrigation and Drainage District to the reduction in irrigable acreage below 65,000 acres. As advocated by the District, the Committee Report urged the Secretary to take all reasonable steps to avoid condemnation in accomplishing this acreage reduction. It also stated that the reduction in irrigable acreage is not intended to reduce the beneficial consumptive use of water diverted for the Wellton-Mohawk Division below the level of 300,000 acre-feet provided in the Gila Project Reauthorization Act nor affect the water rights of any of the divisions of the Gila Project as those rights are established by contract. Section 101 (g) - deletion of Secretarial authority to retain land acquired in the Wellton-Mohawk Division for fish, wildlife, or other appropriate purposes. The report stated the Committee's understanding that the lands may be utilized for fish and wildlife purposes except that they are not to receive an irrigation water supply under any circumstances. Section 101 (h) - deletion of a requirement that all costs associated with improvements that will enable water users to meet water quality requirements of State and Federal law shall be the responsibility of the water users. Section 101 (k) - deletion of Secretarial authority to adopt "other control measures below Painted Rock Dam" to permit the United States to comply with its obligation under Minute No. 242. Section 102(a) - added a statement that the authority to line the Coachella Canal is to assist in meeting salinity control objectives of Minute No. 242 during an interim period; that the United States is entitled to the temporary use during an interim period (as defined therein, rather than ending when deliveries to California are reduced to 4.4 maf, although the Committee Report stated the latter was meant) equal to the quantity of water conserved by the lining; and that after the interim period the annual repayment installments or portions thereof shall be paid by the Coachella Valley Water District. The Committee omitted the District's proposed addition that all other repayment installments shall be nonreimbursable. Section 102(c) - deletion of Secretarial authority to dispose of lands acquired in Imperial Irrigation District which receive or have rights to receive water from Imperial Irrigation District's capacity in the Coachella Canal, together with the rights to any water therefor and the proceeds deposited in the General Treasury. Instead, the bill provided that said lands be returned to the public domain and that the United States shall not acquire any water rights therein. |
