Water on the Web

by Ken Seasholes

Surfing the Lower Colorado River

The legal, technical and political issues surrounding the Lower Colorado River are notoriously complex. Fortunately there is a wealth of information on the World Wide Web to help make sense of that complexity.

One of the best places to start is the Colorado River Water Users Association's website (crwua.mwd.dst.ca.us). This recently created site does an excellent job of organizing and summarizing issues both topically and geographically. The "At A Glance" summary for each basin state is a handy reference, while the "Profile" sections for states and issues are well written.

The site is attractive, and uses graphics to good effect. However, the main frame on the right can be quite cramped, and navigation can be awkward.

The next recommended stop is the Bureau of Reclamation (www.usbr.gov), and in particular, the Lower Colorado Regional Office (www.lc.usbr.gov). Large, and at times cumbersome, BuRec's site is a major repository of source material. Typical of a number of federal sites, BuRec gets high marks for content, but mixed marks for design and ease-of-use.

Many of the relevant documents are put up as single, minimally formatted files. Scrolling through such large documents is difficult and inefficient. Access to data, including reservoir levels and releases, is a bit better. The sheer volume of material, and quirky navigation can be frustrating, but usually worth the inconvenience.

The USGS (www.usgs.gov) is another significant source of data and reports. Though server-response can be slow, real-time stream flow data are available at the Arizona Water Resources District (www.daztcn.wr.usgs.gov) Results from the spring 1996 controlled flood are also available.

At the state level, the Arizona Department of Water Resources' site (www.adwr.state.az.us) contains summaries of Colorado River management, as well as specific issues such as Indian water rights. The director's comments on off-stream storage are archived as well. The Arizona Water Banking Authority (www.awba.state.az.us) has a separate set of comments on the storage proposal, and includes some background on storage efforts. The California Department of Water Resources' otherwise strong web site (www.dwr.water.ca.gov) is surprisingly anemic in covering Colorado River issues. However, Chapter 9 of the California Water Plan does address key management options.

There are many other resources (Altavista lists 26,000 for "Colorado River"), so below are a few more.


www.acwanet.com
The Association of California Water Agencies site has a breezy overview of current issues, with some useful legislative updates.

www.cvwd.org
Coachella Valley Water District has quick-loading graphics and news on the "illegal" transfer of water between the Imperial ID and San Diego (www.sdcwa.org)

www.mwd.dst.ca.us
Metropolitan Water District of Southern California has lots of solid resources, including "Aqueduct 2000," but some bloated graphics and no search utility detract.

www.cap-az.com
The CAP's site is light on content, but information on subcontracts and history help.

www.iid.com
Elegant and well organized, the Imperial Irrigation District's Website has concise descriptions of technical and policy issues.
www.snwa.com
Colorado River issues are a small part of the Southern Nevada Water Authority site, but the Multi-Species Conservation Program, and its Water Resource Plan are decently reviewed.

www.state.nv.us/colorado_river/
The site has very basic information about the Colorado River Commission of Nevada.

www.cbrfc.gov
Colorado Basin River Forecast Center's unassuming site is packed with valuable hydrologic data.

ag.arizona.edu/AZWATER/arroyo/
Joe Gelt's "Sharing Colorado River Water" provides an overview of the Colorado River Compact.

www.glencanyon.org
This site includes the Glen Canyon Institute's perspective on the dam and related issues, along with selected testimony.

www.grand-canyon.az.us
No hydrology or policy, just lots of photos that will make you want to go hiking.