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Home , Colorado River Aqueduct

River Water Transfer Agreement

Overview U.S. Department of A critical component of the 2003 Colora- Interior, also included AF = acre-foot do River Quantification Settlement Agreement projects to conserve One acre-foot is was the Water Transfer Agreement between water from lining por- approximately Imperial Irrigation District and the San Diego tions of the All-American 325,900 gallons, enough to supply County Water Authority. The transfer agree- and Coachella canals. 2.5 single-family ment established that the San Diego region The Water Authority DIVERSIFICATION households of four would receive up to 200,000 acre-feet of served as the project for a year. Enhancing Water water per year for up to 75 years through a manager on both canal Supply Reliability combination of land fallowing and efficiency- lining projects, which based water conservation measures. are complete and producing approximately The water transfer is considered the cor- 80,000 acre-feet of conserved water per nerstone of the broader QSA plan to reduce year for the Water Authority. ’s use of water to Water Authority-IID Water Transfer its basic annual apportionment of 4.4 million Term - The initial term of the Water acre-feet. Now in its 18th year of implemen- Authority-IID Water Transfer Agreement is 45 tation, 190,000 acre-feet of water is sched- years. If both parties agree, the agreement uled to be transferred to the Water Authority can be renewed for an additional in 2020. The transfer schedule will ramp up to 30 years. In the event of a non-renewal, each 200,000 acre feet in 2021. party has a right of first refusal on transfers San Diego County Water Authority for a period of 15 years following the initial Water Supply Diversification in 2020 term. Water Supply Diversi cation by 2020 Conservation methods - IID is respon- Canal Lining sible for determining how to produce the Transfer Seawater conserved water. Fallowing was a permitted 15% Desalination 10% method of saving water through the initial Imperial Irrigation Recycled District Water Water 15 years of the transfer. IID now conserves Transfer 8% through a combination of system conservation 35% San Luis Rey Water Transfer and on-farm conservation methods. In 2010, 3% the Water Authority provided IID with $50 Groundwater million to assist in these efforts. IID is using the 6% money for the exclusive purpose of construct- Local Surface ing system-conservation capital improvement Potable Metropolitan Water Water projects. Between 2003 and 2017, the Water Reuse 10% District of Southern 2% Authority also provided $30 million to IID to California 11% help diversify the economy and mitigate socioeconomic impacts of the water transfer. The QSA, signed Oct. 10, 2003, by the Water Authority, IID, Metropolitan Water Quantity - The delivery quantity in- District of , Coachella Val- creases annually according to a schedule until ley Water District, the California State Water reaching 200,000 acre-feet in 2021. Resources Control Board and the Delivery - MWD takes delivery of trans-

The San Diego County Water Authority sustains a $245 billion regional economy and the quality of life for 3.3 million residents through a multi-decade water supply diversification plan, major infrastructure investments and forward-thinking policies that February 2020 promote fiscal and environmental responsibility. A public agency created in 1944, the Water Authority delivers wholesale water supplies to 24 retail water providers, including cities, special districts and a military base. Colorado River Water Transfer Agreement fer water via the Colorado River Aqueduct rado River annual apportionment of 4.4 million and delivers to the Water Authority a like acre-feet. For many years, more than half the quantity and quality of water in exchange. water MWD received from the Colorado River was a surplus supply. With the execution of the Price - The price paid to IID for con- QSA, Southern California weaned itself from served water in 2020 is $679 per acre-foot. overdependence on the Colorado River. Through 2034, the price per acre-foot will San Diego County - San Diego County be based on the annual increase in the Gross has gained a highly reliable water supply that Domestic Product Implicit Price Deflator as helps to diversify and ensure the reliability of published by the Bureau of Economic Analysis the region’s supply for generations to come. of the U. S. Department of Commerce and The transfers protect against shortages and applied to the prior year price per acre-foot. stabilize the price of a significant portion of Beginning in 2035, either the Water Authority the Water Authority’s overall supplies. or IID can, if certain criteria are met, elect a Imperial Valley - The Imperial Valley market price through a formula described in protects its historic water rights. The transfer the Water Transfer Agreement. funds pay the costs of the conservation pro- In addition, a shortage premium price gram. Moreover, funding helps diversify the can be imposed, under certain conditions, valley’s economy. after 2035. Summary Benefits The Water Authority-IID water transfer California - Water transfers are a key provides benefits to San Diego and Imperial component of the QSA, allowing California to counties and, indeed, the entire state of Cali- implement measures to reduce its overdepen- fornia. The All-American and dence on Colorado River water. lining projects also provide a reliable long- Southern California - The transfers pro- term supply of water. These programs are key vide water to replace Colorado River water to the QSA. that is lost to the region as California complies 4677 Overland Ave. with the mandate to live within its basic Colo- San Diego, California 92123-1233 QSA Water Supplies 2003 - 2021 858.522.6700

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Imperial Irrigation All-American Canal Coachella Canal @sdcwa District Transfer Lining Project Lining Project

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