797 



(c) Replacement water studies. 



Replacement of the reject stream from the desalt- 

 ing plant and of any Wellton-Mohawk drainage 

 water bypassed to the Santa Clara S'ouph to accom- 

 plish essential operation except at such times when 

 there exists surplus water of the Colorado River un- 

 der the terms of the Mexican Water Treaty of 1944, 

 is recognized as a national obligation as provided in 

 section 1512 of this title. Studies to Identify feasible 

 measures to provide adeauate replacement water 

 shall be completed not later than June 30, 1980. Said 

 studies shall be limited to potential sources within 

 the States of Arizona, California, Colorado, New 

 Mexico, and those portions of Nevada, Utah, and 

 Wyoming which are within the natural drainage 

 basin of the Colorado River. Measures found neces- 

 sary to replace the reject stream from the desalting 

 plant and any Wellton-Mohawlc drainage bypassed 

 to the Santa Clara Slough to accomplish essential 

 operations may be undertaken independently of the 

 national obligation set forth in section 1512 of this 

 title. 



(d) Advancement of funds for that portion of bypass 

 drain within Mexico. 



The Secretary is hereby authorized to advance 

 funds to the United States section, International 

 Boundary and Water Commission (IBWC), for con- 

 struction, operation, and maintenance by Mexico 

 pursuant to Minute No. 242 of that portion of the 

 bypass drain within Mexico. Such funds shall be 

 transferred to an appropriate Mexican agency, un- 

 der arrangements to be concluded by the IBWC pro- 

 viding for the constru^^tion, operation, and mainte- 

 nance of such facility by Mexico. 



(e) Desalted water exchange. 



Any desalted water not needed for the purposes 

 of this subchapter may be exchanged at prices and 

 imder term? and conditions satisfactory to the Sec- 

 retary and the proceeds therefrom shall be deposited 

 in the General Fund of the Treasury. The city of 

 Yuma, Arizona, shall have first right of refusal t6 

 any such water. 



(f) Return flow reduction. 



For the purpose of reducing the return flows f roni 

 the division to one hundred and seventy-five thou- 

 sand acre-feet or less, annually, the Secretary Is 

 authorized to : 



(1) Accelerate the cooperative program of Irri- 

 gation Management Services with the Wellton- 

 Mohav'k Irrigation and Drainage District, herein- 

 after referred to as the district, for the purpose of 

 improving irrigation efficiency. The district shall 

 bear its share of the cost of such program as deter- 

 mined by the Secretary. 



(2) Acquire by purchase or through eminent 

 domain or exchange, to the extent determined by 

 him to be appropriate, lands or interests in lands 

 to reduce the existing seventy-five thousand de- 

 veloped and undeveloped Irrigable acres authorized 

 by the Gila Reauthorization Act. The initial reduc- 

 tion in irrigable acreage shall be limited to ap- 



proximately ten thousand acres. If the Secretary 

 determines that the irrigable acreage of the divi- 

 sion must be reduced below sixty-five thousand 

 acres of irrigable lands to carry out the purpose of 

 this section, the Secretary is authorized, with the 

 con.sent of the district, to acquire additional landSi 

 as may be deemed by him to be appropriate. 



(g) Disposal of acquired lands. 



The Secretary is authorized to dispose of the ac- 

 quired lands £ind interests therein on terms and 

 conditions satisfactory to him and meeting the 

 objective of this chapter. 



(h) Assistance to water users for installation of sys- 

 tem improvements. 



The Secretary is authorized, either in conjunc- 

 tion with or in lieu of land acquisition, to assist 

 wat3r users in the division in installing system im- 

 provements, such as ditch lining, change of field 

 layouts, automatic equipment, sprinkler systems and 

 bubbler systems, as a means of increasing irrigation 

 efficiencies: Provided, however. That all costs asso- 

 ciated with the improvements authorized herein 

 and allocated to the water users on the basis of 

 benefits received, as determined by the Secretary, 

 sliall be reimbursed to the United States in amounts 

 and on terms and conditions satisfactory to the 

 Secretary. 



(i) Contract amendment. 



The Secretary is authorized to amend the contract 

 between the United States and the district dated 

 March 4. 1952. as amended, to provide that — 



(1> the portion of the existing repavm^nt obli- 

 gation owing to the United States allocable to 

 irrigable acreage eliminated from the division for 

 the purposes of this sub^h.-'pter. ns determined by 

 the Secretary, shall be nonreimbursable' and 



(2) if deemed appropriate by the Secretary, the 

 district shall be ?ivpn credit against its outstand- 

 ing repayment obligation to off.set any increase in 

 operation and maintenance assessments per acre 

 which may result from the district',"? decreas«>d 

 operation and maintenance base, all as determined 

 by the Secretary. 



(J) Acquisition of land for storage. 



The Secretary is authnrizpd to aca;iir" ^hr^ugh 

 the Corps of Engineers fee title to. or other necessarv 

 interests in. additional la^ds phm-p tbf^ onintP'i Rock 

 Dam in Arizona that are renuired for the tpmi^orarv 

 storage capacity needed to permit operation of the 

 dam and reservoir in times of serious flooding in 

 accordance with the obligations of the United States 

 under Minute No. 242. No funds shall be expended 

 for acquisition of land or interests therein until it Is 

 finally determined by a Federal court of competent 

 jurisdiction that the Corps of Engineers presently 

 lacks legal authority to ase said lands for this pur- 

 pose. Nothing contained in this subchapter nor any 

 action taken pursuant to it shall be deemed to be a 

 recognition or admission of any obligation to the 

 owners of such land on the part of the United States 

 or a limitation or deficiency in the rights or powers 



