Colorado River pact is pushed

LAS VEGAS — Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne told water officials from seven Western states that he expects an agreement on sharing Colorado River water during periods of drought "signed, sealed and delivered" next year.

Kempthorne used his first appearance before the Colorado River Water Users Association conference to emphasize philosophy over policy and consensus over conflict.

"I view my role less as a water master of the Colorado River than as a mayor of the river," he said in a speech Friday before several hundred officials from states that draw water from the river.

Recalling his days as mayor of Boise, Idaho, Kempthorne made it clear he intends to "take whatever steps are needed to ensure the neighborhood runs properly. But only if and when such steps become necessary."

Kempthorne, a former Idaho governor and Republican senator, took over as interior secretary in May from Gale Norton, who threatened two years ago to impose a federal water-sharing plan if the seven states using Colorado River water could not reach consensus.

As southwestern U.S. cities have grown, the so-called lower basin states of Nevada, California and Arizona have been pitted against the upper basin states of Utah, Colorado, Wyoming and New Mexico. The conflict has worsened in drought years.

A 1922 agreement allots each state a portion of some 15 million acre-feet of water a year flowing down the river to Mexico, which also has water rights.

An environmental study on a preliminary drought plan reached last year was originally due to be released this month. It should be issued in early February, said Bob Johnson, director of the Bureau of Reclamation's lower Colorado River region.

"I urge you to keep the momentum going," Kempthorne told the water officials, "so that we can have a final Environmental Impact Statement signed, sealed and delivered by the end of next year."

"This is a critical time, perhaps even an historic time, in the Colorado basin," he added.

Two years ago the upper basin states asked the Bureau of Reclamation to cut releases of water from the Glen Canyon Dam to help refill Lake Powell, which had dropped to about 49 percent capacity due to drought. The level has since increased to about 51 percent, officials said.

Lower basin states said reducing water releases would hurt downstream users and jeopardize Lake Mead, which is at 55 percent capacity.