Posted on 04/04/2005 7:40:55 PM PDT by NormsRevenge
HOOVER DAM, Nev. - Water officials from California, Arizona and Nevada joined the federal government Monday in enacting a 50-year plan to protect the lower Colorado River and ensure states are able to get enough water and power from it.
The $626 million agreement will benefit "the many important species, including humans, that rely on the Colorado River," said John Keys, commissioner of the Bureau of Reclamation, during a ceremony at the base of the massive Hoover Dam.
The program, called the Lower Colorado River Multi-Species Conservation Program, aims to protect threatened and endangered species along 400 miles of river from Lake Mead to the U.S.-Mexico border, while ensuring an uninterrupted supply of water and power.
The agreement calls for restoring 8,132 acres of riverside, marsh and backwater habitat for at least 26 species native to the river, including six federally protected species: the razorback sucker, bonytail and humpback chub fish; the Yuma clapper rail and southwestern willow flycatcher birds; and the desert tortoise.
"Today's agreement represents the largest, the longest-term and the most innovative partnership plan for habitat restoration on a river system in the United States," said Craig Manson, assistant Interior secretary for fish, wildlife and parks.
Though touted as an example of "cooperative conservation" supported by the Bush administration, the pact was derided by environmental groups, some of which dropped out of the decade-long negotiations.
"It's cooperation between the water users, power producers and federal government to provide legal and political protection from litigation," said Michael Cohen, of the Oakland, Calif.-based Pacific Institute.
Cohen said his group pulled out because environmentalists were outvoted and participating groups had no goal to improve habitat in the fragile Colorado River delta in Mexico's Gulf of California.
"This plan is worse than doing nothing because it effectively closes the door on meaningful lower Colorado River restoration for 50 years," Cohen said.
 The hat of a Department of Interior Park Ranger is seen during a ceremony at the base of Hoover Dam near Boulder City, Nev., Monday, April 4, 2005. The ceremony marked the implementation of the Multi-Species Conservation Program which deals water and wildlife management in the lower Colorado River. State and federal officials along with representatives from water districts from Nevada, Arizona, and California took part in th event. (AP Photo/Joe Cavaretta) |
Is there some kind of requirement that endangered species have to have goofy names?
De-salination plant for west coast farmers would ease the burden. It seems enevitable.
Think of the votes you could buy. Why won't a pol propose it?
Somebody needs an excuse to drain 1.5 million acre feet to the Mexican border ASAP because Condi Rice made a water deal with V. Fox recently, and its funny how this fact isn't even mentioned here, nor any speculation of long term treaties that perhaps are being made with US water going to Mexico without even a public discussion:
"Mexico will transfer enough water to the United States to cover a debt that Texas has claimed that Mexico has owed under a 1944 treaty. That water-sharing pact requires Mexico to send the United States an average of 350,000 acre-feet of water annually from six Rio Grande tributaries. The United States in return must send Mexico 1.5 million acre feet from the Colorado River. "
Rice Vows Border Cooperation With Mexico March 11, 2005
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1360419/posts
Creator Enacts Colorado River (5,000,000 year) Plan
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I like it already.
Thanks for the perspective. ;-)
BTTT!!!!!
BTT!!!!!!
[will benefit "the many important species, including humans]
Whew!...For a minute there, I thought we humans were screwed!
uhhh....
OK lets look at the treaty :
Under a 1944 agreement Mexico must let a certain amount of water flow down the Rio Bravo into Texas every year,
Mexico has not met its obligation in full since 1993, and now owes 1.5m acre-feet - four years' worth of water.
How long has Bush been in office, and what has he done for the south west, but to offer more benifs to Mexico, ball 1 on my count here....
http://www.guardian.co.uk/bush/story/0,7369,746995,00.html
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