Landmark Agreement Advances Transfer of Water to San Diego County
The Board of Directors of the San Diego County Water Authority have approved a landmark agreement with the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (MWD). The arrangement significantly advances the transfer of conserved agricultural water from Imperial Valley to San Diego, and brightens the prospects for a successful California 4.4 Plan for the Colorado River. The Board of Directors of Metropolitan also approved the agreement.
The Memorandum of Understanding with Metropolitan calls for the Water Authority to deliver the water it receives under its separate water transfer agreement with the Imperial Irrigation District (IID) to Metropolitan. In turn, Metropolitan will deliver the same amount of water of at least equal quality into the Authority's service territory.
According to the water transfer agreement between the Water Authority and the Imperial Irrigation District, the Authority will receive up to 200,000 acre feet of water each year after an initial 10-year ramp-up in the water deliveries. The Water Authority has been pursuing a water conveyance agreement with Metropolitan for more than two years.
The agreement between the Authority and Metropolitan is seen by water leaders throughout California as a milestone achievement in California's efforts to develop a California 4.4 Plan for the Colorado River. Successful implementation of the 4.4 Plan will significantly improve the reliability of California's draw on the river by helping to ensure the Colorado River Aqueduct remains full for decades to come. Keeping the aqueduct full, in turn, will help alleviate increased demands on water supplies from Northern California.
The water exchange agreement calls for the Authority to pay MWD a per-acre-foot exchange fee of $90 (in 1998 dollars, escalated) for the first 20 years of the 30-year agreement, and $80 per acre foot (in 1998 dollars, escalated) for years 21-30.
Another benefit of the agreement with Metropolitan is assurance that San Diego's agricultural industry that benefits under a discounted water supply program are not adversely impacted by San Diego's water transfer agreement with IID. Under the terms of the agreement with Metropolitan, the IID supply will be considered "independently owned local water" under Metropolitan's Water Surplus and Drought Management Plan and all other MWD ordinances, plans, programs, rules and regulations.