Quantification Settlement Agreement
General QSA Information
United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit No. 06-16345
Filed April 06, 2007 
Imperial Valley Outreach Office
Overview
 Four
water agencies and the state of California finalized the Quantification Settlement
Agreement for the Colorado River in October 2003. This historic agreement provides
California a transition period to implement water transfers and supply programs
that will reduce California's over-dependence upon the Colorado River and reduce
the state's draw to its 4.4 million acre-foot basic annual apportionment. The
QSA commits the state to a restoration path for the environmentally sensitive
Salton Sea and provides full mitigation for these water supply programs. The
QSA assures California up to 75 years of stability in its Colorado River water
supplies.
The Parties
• San Diego County Water Authority
• Coachella Valley
Water District (CVWD)
• Imperial Irrigation District
(IID)
• Metropolitan Water District
of Southern California (MWD)
• State
of California
Statewide Benefits
1. Reduces California's Over-dependence on Colorado River — the QSA enables
California to reduce its historic over-dependence on the Colorado River to its
4.4 million acre-foot basic annual apportionment through voluntary agriculture-to-urban
water transfers and other water supply programs.
2. Restores Surplus Colorado River Water — the QSA allows renewed access
to surplus water, when available, under the federal Interim Surplus Guidelines.
For 2004, urban Southern California would be entitled to receive 260,000 acre-feet
of surplus water.
3. Salton Sea Restoration — the state of California has committed to a
restoration path for the Salton Sea by providing $20 million this year to fund
the development of a restoration plan by 2006; Under the QSA, an innovative
restoration funding program is implemented, under which the state of California
purchases up to 1.6 million acre-feet of water from IID for sale to MWD, generating
up to $300 million for the restoration program.
4. Voluntary agricultural transfers provide more than 30 million acre-feet
for urban use — over the life of the QSA programs, more than 30 million
acre-feet moves from primarily agricultural use to primarily urban use.
5. Decreases pressure on the Bay-Delta — by resolving Southern California
disputes over one of California's two major water resources, the reliability
of Southern California's Colorado River water is improved and pressures to import
more Northern California water into Southern California are reduced. This results
in improved water reliability for all of California.
6. Beneficiaries pay — the QSA adheres to the beneficiaries-pay principle
and no state funds are used for QSA environmental mitigation. There is no Proposition
50 funding requested for the QSA mitigation programs.
Major Features
• Quantification of IID's Colorado River entitlement at 3.1 million
acre-feet;
• Quantification of CVWD's Colorado River entitlement at 330,000 acre-feet;
• A peace treaty between the four water agencies and the promise for
lasting peace among the seven states that share the Colorado River; and
• Water transfers:
— IID-SDCWA transfer, ramping up to 200,000 acre-feet per year from
IID to SDCWA for up to 75 years;
— IID-MWD transfer of up to 110,000 acre-feet per year from IID to MWD;
— IID-CVWD transfers ramping up to 103,000 acre-feet per year from IID
to CVWD;
— Potential water transfers between 25,000 and 111,000 acre-feet annually
from the Palo Verde Irrigation District to MWD;
— Lining of the All-American and Coachella canals, with the 77,700 acre-feet
of water
produced annually going to the SDCWA for 110 years; and
— 16,000 acre-feet per year of additional canal-lining water provided
to the San Luis Rey Settlement Parties to implement a 1988 federal law that
resolved decades-old litigation.
Legislation
On Sept. 29, 2003, the Governor of California signed legislation that:
1. Commits the state to a restoration path for the Salton Sea
2. Creates the Salton Sea Restoration Advisory Committee
3. Provides limited relief from California's Fully Protected Species Act for
the QSA
The All-American and Coachella Canal Lining Projects
In addition to the Water Authority-IID water transfer, the Water Authority
accepted assignment of the Metropolitan Water District's water rights to 77,700
acre-feet per year for 110 years from projects that will line the All-American
and Coachella canals. The project will stop the loss of water that currently
occurs through seepage, and that conserved water will go to the Water Authority.
This will provide the San Diego region with an additional 8.5 million acre-feet
of water over the 110-year life of the agreement. The State Legislature authorized
$200 million from the state to help pay for construction of the canal-lining
projects. The projects are also eligible for $20 million in Proposition 50 funding.
By taking on this responsibility, the Water Authority has secured for the San
Diego region a major, new, 110-year water supply that is highly reliable, drought-proof
and cost competitive.
• MWD assigns its canal lining water rights to SDCWA — Project
yields 77,700 acre-feet annually to San Diego County for 110 years (8.5 million
acre-feet)
• SDCWA receives $200 million of state money for construction of the
canal lining projects.
• The project is eligible for $20 million in Proposition 50 funding
• In consideration for MWD's assignment of canal lining water rights
to SDCWA, SDCWA pays MWD's lawful wheeling rate in lieu of the 1998 Exchange
Agreement rates. SDCWA receives firm capacity for the IID transfer for 45
years and for the canal lining water for 110 years
For more information about the QSA, call the Water
Authority's public affairs department at 858-522-6700.
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