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2022-04-26 Callimanis Presentation 1 Eve Castles to PC PHFrom: Alena Callimanis <acallimanis@gmail.com> Sent: Tuesday, April 26, 2022 1:39 PM To: Cheri Flores; Tania Flores Cc: Eve Castles Subject: Presentation number 1 for Eve Castles - April 26 Planning Commission Meeting Attachments: Eve Castles Colorado River Updates Public Comment Planning Commission April 26 2022.pdf ** EXTERNAL: This message originated outside of the City of La Quinta. Please use proper judgement and caution when opening attachments, clicking links or responding to requests for information. ** Here is presentation number 1 for Eve Castles. Thank you very much. Alena Callimanis Colorado River Updates Eve Castles La Quinta The top 10 most endangered rivers in America CNN Mon April 18, 2022 Rachel Ramirez The Colorado River — which provides drinking water, irrigation and electricity for more than 40 million people in the West — is the most endangered river in the United States this year, according to the nonprofit conservation group American Rivers. The Colorado River's outdated water management practices have been worsened by climate change, pushing the river into the No. 1 slot. !! ...the Colorado River system is already operating at a deficit..." The top 10 most endangered rivers in America (cont.) The climate crisis has pushed the Colorado River's Lake Mead and Lake Powell — the largest and second-largest reservoirs in the country — to unprecedented lows. "This is not the same river it was two years ago, three years ago or five years ago. We need to learn to live with the river that we have, and we need to implement solutions to allow us to do so." "If the river crashes, it's a massive economy that's at stake not only in the Southwest, for cities like Los Angeles, Phoenix, Las Vegas and Denver, it's a national economic crisis. This is a national story." CVWD Board President John Powell Jr. Statement on April 12 during public hearing on residential water restrictions • We have been good stewards of our water and that is why we have enough water for new developments and surf parks and lagoons • Board Member Anthony Bianco said that is was hard for him to look someone in the eye and tell them to conserve residential water when CVWD is saying there is enough water for these surfing parks with new developments Hot off the Presses - Brand new CVWD Program - Colorado River Water Conservation Program on the CVWD web site •The Colorado River Basin has been in historic drought conditions since the early 2000s. Currently, the combined storage in Lake Powell and Lake Mead are at their lowest levels (below 35%) since Lake Powell initially began filling in the 1960s. CVWD has been actively discussing with other Basin States to help mitigate the impacts of the historical dry conditions. Brand new CVWD Program - Colorado River Water Conservation Program on the CVWD web site (cont) • As a first step, CVWD is soliciting interest for a voluntary, temporary, and compensated water conservation program for canal water users that can demonstrate a reduction in Colorado River water use for 2022 - 23. Participants will be incentivized $200/af (net) based on savings against their historical water use over the most recent 5-year period. Is there a realization from CVWD finally that the situation is dire and something must be done? Where our water comes from —from CVWD website The Coachella Valley Water District (CVWD) relies on four sources of water to provide service to its customers: groundwater, recycled water, imported water from the State Water Project and the Colorado River via the Coachella Canal, a branch of the All -American Canal. The Coachella Valley is home to more than 120 golf courses. Unfortunately, the amount of wastewater that is recycled can't meet the year-round irrigation needs of the courses. To increase the available nonpotable water supply for golf courses to reduce their demand on the aquifer, CVWD in 2009 completed the Mid -Valley Pipeline Project to bring Colorado River water to the Water District's largest wastewater reclamation plant in Palm Desert. Currently, 17.5 golf courses within CVWD boundaries use this nonpotable blend of recycled water and Colorado River water for irrigation. An additional 36 golf courses use all Colorado River water imported from the Coachella Canal. Plans are underway for an additional 40.5 golf courses to switch from groundwater to these nonpotable supplies in the future. No matter how it is used, it is the Colorado River Water • Whether it is pumped from a well, or taken directly from the Coachella Canal and then treated so it is potable, it is still Colorado River Water • We have no other water source. The Colorado River is used for our agriculture, is used for our golf courses, and is used for our precious drinking water. • We are at a crisis point with the Colorado River you can no longer ignore.