HCM 2004 — Yuma desalting plant; continued operation

HCM2004 - 542R - H Ver       House Engrossed         State of Arizona House of Representatives Fifty-fourth Legislature Second Regular Session         HOUSE FLOORCONCURRENT AMENDMENTMEMORIAL EXPLANATION2004 Bill  Number:    A CONCURRENT MEMORIAL   urging the Secretary of the united states Department of the Interior to immediately take all necessary measures to operate the Yuma Desalting Plant.

HCM2004  Griffin  Floor(TEXT AmendmentOF AddsBILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)   To the followingSecretary declarations:of the United States Department of the Interior:

1.Your memorialist respectfully represents:

TheWhereas, U.S.the United states Congress stated in the Colorado River Basin Project Act that the satisfaction of the requirements of the Mexican Water Treaty constitutes a national obligation;

Congressand statedWhereas, under a treaty agreement entered into in 1973, the ColoradoUnited RiverStates Basinis Projectrequired Actto ensure that satisfyingwater thedelivered requirementsto Mexico as part of theMexico's Mexicanallocation Waterof TreatyColorado isRiver awater nationalmeets obligation.certain water quality standards;

2.and Whereas, in accordance with this agreement, the United States Congress enacted the Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Act of 1974, which directed and authorized the Secretary of the United States Department of the Interior to construct, operate and maintain a desalting plant to treat drainage water from the Wellton-Mohawk Irrigation and Drainage District and deliver the treated water to Mexico;

Theand UnitedWhereas, Statesconstruction isof committed to taking affirmative actions in the LowerYuma BasinDesalting DroughtPlant Contingencywas Plancompleted to implement programs designed to annually create or conserve 100,000 acre-feet or more of Colorado River water to contribute to conserving water supplies in Lake1992; Mead or other reservoirs in the Lower Colorado River Basin.

Deletesand Whereas, the followingYuma declarations:Desalting Plant is capable of treating 100,000 acre‑feet of water annually;

1.and Whereas, except for limited, initial operations in 1993, a demonstration run completed in 2007 and a nine-month pilot run completed in 2011, the federal government has failed to operate the Yuma Desalting Plant for most of its existence;

Theand UnitedWhereas, Statesthe DepartmentColorado ofRiver thesystem Interior is usingin 100,000 acre-feet of water from Lake Mead to fulfill its water20th qualityconsecutive obligationsyear to Mexico rather than conserving an equal amount of waterdrought; through operating the Yuma Desalting Plant.

2.and Whereas, as a result of these drought conditions, the United States Department of the Interior is projecting that a shortage on the Colorado River is increasingly likely;

Theand ColoradoWhereas, Riverin Basinthe Waterlower Supplybasin anddrought Demandcontingency Studyplan inagreement, Decemberthe 2012United foundStates therethrough willthe beSecretary an imbalance of the supplyInterior andcommitted demandto take affirmative actions to implement lower basin programs designed to create or conserve 100,000 acre-feet or more per annum of Colorado River system water andto citedcontribute measuresto suchthe asconservation of water conservation,supplies reuse,in andLake augmentationMead toor staveother offColorado futureRiver shortages.reservoirs in the lower basin;

Specifiesand thatWhereas, the federalCentral government'sArizona abdicationProject ofis itsa obligationjunior topriority operaterights theholder Yumato DesaltingColorado PlantRiver haswater causedand 1,800,000would acre-feet,bear insteadthe oflargest 1,300,000reduction acre-feet,of toColorado beRiver lostwater fromin Laketimes Mead.of shortage;

Clarifiesand thatWhereas, 100,000by acre-feetabdicating wouldits beobligation enoughto wateroperate tothe supplyYuma Desalting Plant, the federal government has caused the loss of more than 330,0001,800,000 Arizonaacre-feet homesfrom annually.Lake Mead;

Declaresand thatWhereas, if the Arizonafederal Housegovernment ofwere Representatives,to withoperate the SenateYuma concurring,Desalting praysPlant, thatit thewould Secretaryconserve of100,000 theacre-feet Unitedper Statesyear, Departmentequivalent ofto the Interiorwater fulfillneeded its obligations to providesupply formore Coloradothan River330,000 waterArizona augmentationhomes andwith conservationwater byannually. operating the Yuma Desalting Plant if feasible, or a suitable alternative.

AmendmentWherefore explanationyour preparedmemorialist, bythe PaulHouse Bergelinof PhoneRepresentatives Numberof (602)the 926-3458State jbof 2/25/2020Arizona, Fifty-fourththe LegislatureSenate Griffinconcurring, Secondprays: Regular Session H.C.M.

20041.  That GRIFFINthe FLOORSecretary AMENDMENTof HOUSEthe OFUnited REPRESENTATIVESStates AMENDMENTSDepartment TOof H.C.M.the Interior immediately take all necessary measures to fulfill its obligations to provide for Colorado River water augmentation and conservation through the operation of the Yuma Desalting Plant, if feasible, or a suitable alternative.

20042.  That (Referencethe Secretary of State of the State of Arizona transmit copies of this Memorial to printedthe memorial)Secretary Pageof 1,the betweenUnited linesStates 2Department of the Interior, the President of the United States, the President of the United States Senate, the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives and 3,each insert:Member of Congress from the State of Arizona.

"Whereas, the United States Congress stated in the Colorado River Basin Project Act that the satisfaction of the requirements of the Mexican Water Treaty constitutes a national obligation;

and" Strike lines 21 through 24 Strike lines 30 through 34, insert:

"Whereas, in the lower basin drought contingency plan agreement, the United States through the Secretary of the Interior committed to take affirmative actions to implement lower basin programs designed to created or conserve 100,000 acre-feet or more per annum of Colorado River system water to contribute to the conservation of water supplies in Lake Mead or other Colorado River reservoirs in the lower basin;

and" Line 39, strike "1,300,000" insert "1,800,000" Line 40, after "Mead" strike remainder of line Line 41, strike "of water shortage" Line 44, strike "250,000" insert "330,000" Page 2, line 4, strike "operate" insert "fulfill its obligations to provide for Colorado River water augmentation and conservation through the operation of" Line 5, after "Plant" insert ", if feasible, or a suitable alternative" Amend title to conform GAIL GRIFFIN HCM2004FloorGRIFFIN2 02/25/2020 10:21 AM H:

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