House Engrossed

State of Arizona House of Representatives Fifty-fourth Legislature Second Regular Session 2020

HOUSE CONCURRENT MEMORIAL 2004

 

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.

 

 

(TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)

 

To the Secretary of the United States Department of the Interior:

Your memorialist respectfully represents:

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

Whereas, under a treaty agreement entered into in 1973, the United States is required to ensure that water delivered to Mexico as part of Mexico's allocation of Colorado River water meets certain water quality standards; 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; and

Whereas, construction of the Yuma Desalting Plant was completed in 1992; and

Whereas, the Yuma Desalting Plant is capable of treating 100,000 acre‑feet of water annually; 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; and

Whereas, the Colorado River system is in its 20th consecutive year of drought; 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; and

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 create 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

Whereas, the Central Arizona Project is a junior priority rights holder to Colorado River water and would bear the largest reduction of Colorado River water in times of shortage; and

Whereas, by abdicating its obligation to operate the Yuma Desalting Plant, the federal government has caused the loss of more than 1,800,000 acre-feet from Lake Mead; and

Whereas, if the federal government were to operate the Yuma Desalting Plant, it would conserve 100,000 acre-feet per year, equivalent to the water needed to supply more than 330,000 Arizona homes with water annually.

Wherefore your memorialist, the House of Representatives of the State of Arizona, the Senate concurring, prays:

1.  That the Secretary of the United States Department of 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.

2.  That the Secretary of State of the State of Arizona transmit copies of this Memorial to the Secretary of the United States Department 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 each Member of Congress from the State of Arizona.