Author Archives: Rodney T. Smith

About Rodney T. Smith

Rodney T. Smith, Ph.D., President of Stratecon Inc.—an economics and strategic planning consulting firm—advises public and private sector water users on the acquisition, sale and leasing of water rights and water supplies in the western U.S. He is routinely involved in economic valuation of water rights, water investments, and negotiation of water acquisition and transportation agreements and has served as an expert witness in the economic valuation of groundwater resources, disputes over the economic interpretation of water contracts, economics of water conservation and water use practices, and the socio-economic impacts of land fallowing. For more information, see www.stratwater.com.

Salton Sea: En Attendant for Action

Time for Hydrowonk to update the deteriorating status of the Salton Sea.

Over four years ago, a Los Angeles Times Editorial stated: “The Salton Sea is a disaster in the making.  California isn’t doing anything about it.”

Last year, the Bureau of Reclamation and the Imperial Irrigation District announced an agreement on the Salton Sea as part of federal action to reduce California’s use of Colorado River water.  The $250 million of federal funding was not a good deal for the Salton Sea.

With the continued inaction since 2017, when the Imperial Irrigation District’s obligation to mitigate the impact of its conserved water transfers to the San Diego County Water Authority ended, the facts are clear:

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What Would Lloyd Allen Do?

With the Colorado River in crisis, long-term and newly found friends in the Imperial Valley have reached out to Hydrowonk seeking advice and counsel.  After two decades of drawing down water storage in Lake Powell and Lake Mead, the Bureau of Reclamation and junior water right holders are banging on the door of the Imperial Valley demanding a bail out because, evidently, they are “too big to fail.” 

Channeling Elon Musk, Hydrowonk keeps it short and sweet.  First, honor and protect the legacy of the Imperial Valley’s pioneers who literally dug your community out of the dirt with their own bare hands.  Second, channel the wisdom of Lloyd Allen.   

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What Can Colorado River Senior Water Right Users Learn from the NLF Players Union?

Hydrowonk attended the Colorado River Water Users Association in Las Vegas, catching up with clients at Thursday’s Percolation and Runoff reception.  Running with senior water right users, Hydrowonk heard many complaints about this year’s panels barely mentioning the priority system.  One wise observer noted that “this was a meeting of the Colorado River (Junior) Water Users Association.”

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The Wisdom of Bruce Babbitt

Yesterday, former Arizona Governor and Secretary of the Interior, Bruce Babbitt called for the immediate implementation of Tier 3 curtailments under the 2019 Drought Contingency Plan (“DCP”) in an opinion piece in The Arizona Republic, Feds should declare a Tier 3 water shortage on the Colorado River (azcentral.com).  Governor Babbitt is advocating this action in the face of inaction by Colorado River parties, including the federal government.

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