IID testifies to state assembly on Colorado River

IMPERIAL COUNTY, Calif. (KYMA, KECY) - Two representatives from the Imperial Irrigation District (IID) attended a Senate sub-committee hearing in Sacramento this week to give a status update on the Colorado River. 

The two representatives were JB Hambly, IID Board Vice President and California Colorado River Commissioner. Alongside him was IID Department Water Manager Tina Sheilds.  

The commissioner spoke about the history of the development of the Colorado River and California’s water users, programs, and agreements that will allow maintaining California for using access to the water.  

They also addressed the next steps going forward on the consensus of access of the alternative to the Bureau of Reclamation’s Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS). 

SEIS is a Reclamation Draft that was released by the Biden administration  

This draft is a proposed alternative for all three basin states such as California, Nevada, and Arizona that all are currently using the water coming from the Colorado River.  

One of the alternatives is based on seniority which California believes they have the right to withhold. 

Shields talked about the water conservation measures the IID has conserved 7.2 million acre-feet. As well as the impacts of the Salton Sea.