MEDIA ADVISORY
| Office of the Secretary | Contacts: Rob Hallwachs, MWD, (213) 217-6450; (213) 324-1255 (cell) |
| For Immediate Release: October 11, 2002 | Eric Ruff, Interior, (202)
257-0003 (mobile) |
DEPUTY INTERIOR SECRETARY GRILES, FIVE TRIBAL CHAIRMEN, METROPOLITAN OFFICIALS
SIGN PRINCIPLES KEY TO REACHING
CALIFORNIA (4.4) PLAN FOR COLORADO RIVER WATER SUPPLIES
Mayors of Escondido, Vista are also document signatories
WHAT: Deputy Secretary of the U.S. Department of the Interior Steven Griles leads list of
dignitaries signing principles
for a settlement that is key to a "California Plan" for the state's
reduced use of Colorado River water.
WHEN: 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, Oct. 15
WHERE: Metropolitan Water District, 700 N. Alameda St., Los Angeles, immediately
adjacent to Union
Station;
Thomas Guide pg. 634, G-H 3.
WHO:
Deputy Secretary of the Interior Steven Griles; Assistant Secretary of the Interior
for Indian Affairs Neal McCaleb; Metropolitan Chairman Phillip J. Pace;
Metropolitan CEO Ronald Gastelum;
Ronald Jaeger, regional director, Bureau of
Indian Affairs; Virgil Townsend, Southern California superintendent, Bureau of
Indian Affairs; Escondido Mayor Lori Pfeiler; and the Chairman of the Vista
Irrigation District Board
MEDIA AVAILABILITY:
Deputy Secretary Griles will be available for brief interviews immediately after the event; mult box and camera lights will be provided.
BACKGROUND:
To help reach settlement of a 34-year-old water rights dispute involving the San Luis Rey River in San Diego County, Metropolitan has agreed in principle to exchange or purchase up to 16,000 acre-feet of Colorado River water to be provided by the Department of Interior annually. Beneficiaries of the agreement are the La Jolla, Pala, Pauma, Rincon, and San Pasqual bands of Mission Indians, the city of Escondido, and Vista Irrigation District. Water from Metropolitan would supplement local water supplies in resolving the dispute.
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