BULLHEAD CITY — Arizona Steering Committee work began Thursday in Phoenix on the Lower Basin Drought Contingency Plan.
Lois Wakimoto, steering committee representative.
“The four key elements for DCP implementation are going to be agricultural mitigation, tribal intentionally created surplus, Arizona conservation plans and excess water.” LBDCP is a plan developed by Arizona, California, Nevada and the United States to create additional contributions to Lake Mead from Arizona and Nevada, along with new contributions from California and the U.S. with incentives for additional storage in Lake Mead.
Should Bureau of Reclamation declare a shortage in August, Arizona would take the deepest allocation cuts beginning in January.
The plan works to reduce reduction risks by requiring additional incremental water-delivery reductions by Arizona water users, primarily Central Arizona Project water users and most significantly, CAP non-Indian agricultural water users, who would bear the brunt of a Tier 1 shortage.
“It’s not if it’s going to happen — it’s going to happen because of the (Lake Mead) water levels.
We’re looking for ways to mitigate some of the situations that we have to deal with unless we get a huge rain — which with snowpack down over the winter doesn’t seem like it will happen anytime soon.” Steering Committee objectives include recommending appropriate and sustainable processes and tools to implement the plan in Arizona, as well as obtaining Arizona Legislature approval for a joint resolution authorizing the director of Arizona Department of Water Resources to agree to the plan.
As a municipality representative on the committee, Wakimoto is urging Arizona municipalities to contact her regarding their water issues.
“I will try to reach out to them, but they also need to reach out to me,” Wakimoto said.
“I know what Mohave County water issues are, but La Paz issues are a little different and I’m looking for information on what they want.” Arizona Department of Water Resources and Central Arizona Water Conservation District representatives announced the formation of the steering committee at a joint briefing in May.

TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) — Arizona water officials committed Thursday to reach a multi-state plan by the end of the year to stave off Colorado River water shortages, or at least lessen the impact.
The amount of water that gets sent to the lower basin states — Arizona, Nevada and California — and Mexico depends on Lake Mead, the reservoir formed by Hoover Dam.
The Arizona Department of Water Resources and the Central Arizona Project said they would form a committee to work out the details of a drought plan among Arizona water users and present it to the Legislature in January.
Ted Cooke, the general manager of the Central Arizona Project, said the key elements in Arizona are reaching agreement on how to handle any excess water, a program to allow tribes to store water behind Lake Mead, a mitigation plan for central Arizona farmers who would lose water under shortages and a water conservation plan.
The drought contingency plan is meant as an overlay to 2007 guidelines on what levels would trigger shortages and where they would be felt.
Mexico also has agreed to cutbacks.
The plan also gives states flexibility on how to help prop up Lake Mead and an opportunity to recover the water if the lake rises above certain levels.
Burman said other states would pressure her agency to limit Arizona’s water deliveries if it doesn’t agree on the drought plan.
Chris Harris, executive director of the Colorado River Board of California, said California agencies still are working out details of the drought contingency plan and keeping an eye on Arizona with "interest and cautious optimism."
___ Associated Press journalist Ken Ritter in Las Vegas contributed to this report.

Arizona is renewing a focus on a drought contingency plan for the shrinking supply of Colorado River water, and other Western states are paying close attention.
An Arizona utility was accused earlier this year of manipulating the system that governs water allocations.
The Central Arizona Project has since pledged to be more cooperative with other river users, more respectful and more transparent.
The agency has been prodding Colorado River states to wrap up drought contingency plans by the end of the year, one each in the lower and upper basins.
The amount of water that gets sent to the lower basin states — Arizona, Nevada and California — and Mexico depends on Lake Mead, the reservoir formed by Hoover Dam.
Shortages would be triggered if the man-made reservoir on the Arizona-Nevada border dips to 1,075 feet (328 meters) above sea level.
Mexico wouldn’t conserve more water if the lower basin states don’t finalize a plan, said Chris Harris, executive director of the Colorado River Board of California.
"That creates this real uncertainty," said John Fleck, director of the University of New Mexico’s Water Resources Program.
Harris said California agencies are still working out the details but said Burman’s participation in the Arizona meeting is a step in the right direction.
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The Chama River Basin is at 18 percent of average, and the Upper Rio Grande is at 50 percent of average.
El Vado Reservoir could be nearly empty by July.
On the Rio Grande Project in southern New Mexico, the allocation to the two irrigation districts and Mexico is about 60 percent of a full allocation, the Bureau of Reclamation said.
Little inflow is expected to Elephant Butte Reservoir this spring, and it could be left holding less than 5 percent of its capacity at the end of the irrigation season.
(Photo: Susan Montoya Bryan/The Associated Press) Royce Fontenot, a senior hydrologist with the National Weather Service in Albuquerque, said the drought has developed rather quickly thanks to a dry winter.
Overall, nearly half of New Mexico and Arizona are facing extreme drought or worse conditions while about 60 percent of Utah is under severe drought, according to the National Drought Mitigation Center.
The Bureau of Reclamation is working with its partners to implement a survival strategy for the Rio Grande silvery minnow, as outlined in the 2016 Middle Rio Grande Biological Opinion.
And, they are working with the Middle Rio Grande Conservancy District, Albuquerque Water Utility Authority, and other stakeholders to facilitate silvery minnow egg collection efforts.
Drought is prevalant across the American Southwest as extreme conditions spread from Oklahoma to Utah, according to new federal data released Thursday.
About 20 percent of the state is facing exceptional drought conditions — the worst possible classification.

It’s starting to look like a drought year for California farmers who depend on water from the federal government.
The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation announced Tuesday that most farmers south of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta who get water from the federal Central Valley Project will receive just 20 percent of their requested allocation this year.
The agency said it can’t yet provide an initial allocation figure for many Sacramento Valley water agencies because of the lack of rain and the legal requirement that plenty of water be kept in Shasta Lake, the largest reservoir in California, to protect endangered species of Chinook salmon.
Despite last winter’s record rainfall, Californians must "prepare for the potential of return to drought conditions," said Federico Barajas, deputy regional manager of the bureau.
The Sierra Nevada snowpack is just 20 percent of normal and most of the state has received rainfall levels that are well below average.
Last winter’s record Northern California rainfall filled most of the state’s reservoirs and will ensure that most of the irrigation districts and municipal agencies that belong to the CVP will get at least some water from the feds.
At the San Juan Water District in suburban Sacramento, for instance, the reservoir conditions provide a cushion against the uncertainty of not receiving an initial allocation.
The State Water Project has set an initial allocation of 20 percent for all of its farm and municipal customers.
The short-term weather forecast does offer some relief.
The National Weather Service said the Sierra is expected to get as much as 8 inches of new snow starting late Wednesday.

THIS JUST IN … California Water Fix biological opinions posted.
From NOAA: California WaterFix is an infrastructure project that would include constructing two tunnels to convey water from the north to the south Delta.
The purpose of WaterFix is to modernize water infrastructure and provide a secure and reliable source of water to meet the needs of farmers and communities, while including measures to address the needs of fish and wildlife.
The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation and the California Department of Water Resources are consulting with the U.S.
Fish & Wildlife Service concerning the impact of the project.
Questions & Answers (PDF) California WaterFix Biological Assessment (PDF)
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Phoenix approves water-conservation deal with Gila River tribal leaders, federal agencies.
The Phoenix City Council unanimously approved a water-conservation agreement with the Gila River Indian Community and federal agencies on Tuesday, finalizing a plan that will help stretch supplies on the Colorado River.. To stem falling water levels and help prevent a shortage, the Gila River Indian Community will leave 40,000 acre-feet of its river allocation in Lake Mead.
In exchange, the city of Phoenix, state of Arizona and Bureau of Reclamation will each pay the tribe $2 million.
The Walton Family Foundation will contribute $1 million.
“This is an incredible partnership among many parties,” Mayor Greg Stanton said.
“This agreement today is one of the many ways the city of Phoenix is leading the way to make our city and our state more resilient than ever.” For years, the Colorado River system has been drained faster than it has been refilled.
Water levels have dropped about 12 feet a year in Lake Mead, which today sits at 1,081 feet above sea level.
“It is unchartered territory,” Phoenix Water Services Director Kathryn Sorensen told the council.
It is the second water agreement between Phoenix and the Gila River community this year.
Gila River Indian Community Governor Stephen Roe Lewis and Stanton are longtime friends from before their time in office.

NEWS WORTH NOTING: Klamath River emergency dilution flows not required in 2017; Bill to protect Clear Lake passes State Assembly, moves to Senate; New water source for Lake Camanche Village moves forward.
Klamath River Emergency Dilution Flows Not Required in 2017 From the Bureau of Reclamation: The Bureau of Reclamation announces that Klamath River emergency dilution flows will not be required in 2017 to mitigate the effects of a parasite called Ceratanova shasta (or C. shasta) on outmigrating juvenile salmon.
The winter-spring flows were conducted on multiple occasions during February and March 2017, after which Reclamation shifted its focus to planning for implementation of emergency dilution flows, which the court ordered to be implemented between April 1 and June 15 if certain disease thresholds were exceeded.
Specifically, the court ordered Reclamation to utilize up to 50 thousand acre feet to implement emergency dilution flows if: C. Shasta spore concentrations exceed 5 spores/liter (non-specific genotype) based on quantitative polymerase chain reaction at any sampling station, or Prevalence of infection of all captured juvenile Chinook salmon exceeds 20 percent for the preceding week at the Kinsman Rotary Screw Trap site.
These flows would be required until June 15 or until 80 percent of juvenile salmon had outmigrated if either of the preceding two thresholds were exceeded.
Clear Lake is also home to the Clear Lake Hitch, a federally-endangered fish, and holds environmental significance for the surrounding region’s plant and animal life.
“This Committee and the maintenance of a healthy Clear Lake will be a community effort,” said Assemblymember Aguiar-Curry.
Aguiar-Curry represents the 4th Assembly District, which includes all of Lake and Napa Counties, parts of Colusa County, all of Yolo County except West Sacramento, Dixon in Solano County and Rohnert Park in Sonoma County.
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——————— About News Worth Noting: News Worth Noting is a collection of press releases, media statements, and other materials produced by federal, state, and local government agencies, water agencies, and academic institutions, as well as non-profit and advocacy organizations.

Montana’s current water year is expected to be the best in recent years, with minimal drought concerns for the growing season.
Water supplies are expected to be above normal, with all river basins receiving their full supply of water through the summer.
Montague said staff will continue to monitor conditions in the Sun, Judith and Smith river sub-basins, along with Hyalite Creek and the Upper Clark Fork, for any signals of returning drought.
Montague said flooding is a concern for some areas.
Here is the latest on the potential for flooding from a press release from the DWSAC: The May – July forecast for Yellowtail Dam on the Bighorn River is 278% of average flows.
As a result, 13,000 cubic feet per second (cfs) are being released from Yellowtail Dam in hopes of controlling flooding; Montague said those high flows will likely continue through July.
The Bureau of Reclamation is monitoring both upstream and downstream conditions in its management of Yellowtail Dam and is holding weekly stakeholder calls to ensure coordination.
Flooding on the Flathead River is also likely this spring and early summer.
Since then, Flathead Lake has filled to 2,890.5 feet, just under three feet from full.
However, localized flooding is anticipated this season and water users should be prepared.

NEWS WORTH NOTING: DWR and Reclamation Recirculate Draft Environmental Document for Fremont Weir Adult Fish Passage Modification Project.
DWR and Reclamation Recirculate Draft Environmental Document for Fremont Weir Adult Fish Passage Modification Project From the Department of Water Resources and the Bureau of Reclamation: The California Department of Water Resources (DWR) and U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) are recirculating for public review the Biological Resources portion (Section 3.5) of the draft Initial Study and Environmental Assessment (IS/EA) and proposed Mitigated Negative Declaration (MND) for the proposed Fremont Weir Adult Fish Passage Modification Project, located in the northern portion of the Yolo Bypass, approximately 8 miles northeast of Woodland in Yolo County.
The purpose of the proposed project is to improve fish passage at the Fremont Weir and within the Tule Canal.
The project would modify an existing fish ladder at the Fremont Weir and improve fish passage within the channel both upstream and downstream of the Fremont Weir.
Construction is scheduled to begin in the summer of 2017.
The Biological Resources portion of the document is being recirculated to provide public review of changes related to adverse impacts to sensitive species and habitat.
Changes in the draft IS/EA are indicated by underline for new text and strikethrough for deleted text.
Public comments are only being accepted on the Biological Resources portion of the draft IS/EA, which is available for public review from Monday, May 15, through Tuesday, June 13, 2017.
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