New Aqueduct Would Not Be an Easy Sell

The following exchange at San Diego Dialogue’s water forum reveals the political battle that a new San Diego/Baja Aqueduct would almost certainly encounter. Michael Cohen is senior research associate at the Pacific Institute for Studies in Development, Environment and Security, based in Oakland California. Maureen Stapleton is general manager of San Diego County Water Authority.

Michael Cohen: The idea of a binational canal, an additional straw in the [Colorado] River, is a very contentious issue.

I would submit that there would be a great deal of resistance on the basin states and particularly on the part of Arizona to see the development of an additional conveyance facility with additional capacity to bring water from the Colorado River to Southern California. As many of you know, MWD has a strong interest in maintaining the capacity of its aqueduct and keeping that aqueduct full. I think the other basin states would be very concerned that any new aqueduct would also face similar pressures to keep it full and where that water’s going to come from is an open guess. I think Andy [Horne, the IID Chair] would be very concerned if there were more and more water being pulled out of Imperial Valley. In fact, Imperial Irrigation District in the past several months passed a resolution opposing the development of such an additional facility. Additionally, the senior official at the International Boundary and Water Commission has expressed skepticism that such a canal could go through. So not to put a huge damper on the conversation but I think we need to be cautious and look for additional methods and perhaps reach out and work with MWD, which I realize is always a troublesome prospect, to dedicate capacity within the existing infrastructure to meet San Diego’s needs.

Maureen Stapleton: Michael mentioned the other six basin states being tremendously concerned about a second straw in the Colorado River by the addition of an aqueduct. And it is also entertaining to hear that coming out of the other six basin states. Southern Nevada Water Authority just finished an extremely large intake on Lake Mead and that intake is far larger than their allocation of water on the Colorado River. The Arizona water project also is significantly larger than their allocation on the river as well. So are they concerned? Of course they are. But I think that we in California have to establish trust with the other states to ensure that we are doing what needs to be done so that we can live within our entitlement.

Obviously, the Water Authority has not decided whether a joint conveyance or any new conveyance should be constructed. But it does give us this window of opportunity to look at this option. Somebody said, you know, it’s almost impossible what you’re trying to accomplish and someone told me when issues are labeled impossible it just means we have to work harder. That’s absolutely true.