Quantification Settlement Agreement (QSA)
Among the features of the 2003 Quantification Settlement Agreement (QSA) affecting San Diego is the transfer of water, starting in 2003 with 10,000 acre-feet, ramping up to 200,000 acre-feet per year from the Imperial Irrigation District to the San Diego County Water Authority for up to 75 years; and lining of the All-American and Coachella canals, with the 77,700 acre-feet of water saved from previous seepage annually going to the Water Authority for 110 years.
Here is the US Bureau of Reclamation page with the Colorado River Water Delivery Agreement Documents, Oct 2003.
A number of lawsuits against the QSA have been filed which threaten continuation of the water transfers: there is a federal suit in the U.S. District Court filed by the Imperial County Air Pollution Control District and Imperial County; and a now-consolidated state lawsuit in the California Superior Court for suits filed by a number of parties.
On Feb 11, 2010, a Superior Court judge signed a ruling invalidating 12 of the 35 contracts comprising the QSA. An appeal was filed and a temporary stay immediately granted was later made permanent pending outcome of the appeal. Listed below are reports on the issue as I find them in addition to my own posts.
Here is the Superior Court legal record; the Appeals Court cases, the Master Service List for the QSA cases, and my original Nov 10, 2009 post which contains some background and links on the subject.
The separate Federal lawsuit was filed Oct. 8, 2009. Here is the complaint, the order for an Early Neutral Evaluation conference May 14, 2010, and the order for the Case Management Conference October 8, 2010. The federal case was decided on April 6, 2012.
For the latest documents and tentative rulings from the Superior Court case, click this link and a search page will come up with case number JCCP 4353 already entered. Then just click “search.”
News reports:
- Feb 19, 2013: IID files for stay in decision on QSA cases / Imperial Valley Press
- Feb 5, 2013: Imperial Irrigation District to seek stay in decision in QSA cases / Imperial Valley Press
- Sep 25, 2012: IID read[y]ing to solicite [sic] participants for next fallowing cycle / KXO Radio
- Sep 7, 2012: QSA committees proposed, set to be decided in September / Imperial Valley Press
- Sep 4, 2012: DuMars to give final report to IID, Imperial Valley residents / Imperial Valley Press
- May 15, 2012: Landmark water deal comes under scrutiny / U-T San Diego
- Apr 18, 2012: Osias updates Imperial Irrigation District directors, public on water transfer / Imperial Valley Press
- Apr 16, 2012: IID to meet with QSA lawyers, talk over state restoration plan and bid process / Imperial Valley Press
- Apr 10, 2012: QSA-related federal lawsuit case denied / GrokSurf
- Mar 15, 2012: QSA will not be heard at Supreme Court / Imperial Valley Press
- Feb 17, 2012: Parties in QSA case questioning bias of appellate judge / Imperial Valley Press
- Feb 8, 2012: IID approves cost-sharing agreement for QSA mitigation change / Imperial Valley Press
- Jan 12, 2012: County of Imperial to continue legal challenge to water transfer / Imperial Valley Press
- Nov 21, 2011: State judge may lean toward San Diego water transfer / SignOnSanDiego
- Nov 21, 2011: Imperial and San Diego file petition on Salton Sea mitigation water / Bay Delta Blog
- Nov 2, 2011: IID board gets QSA budget report / Imperial Valley Press
- Oct 29, 2011: Massive California farm-to-city water deal snared in litigation / Los Angeles Times
- Aug 10, 2011: Imperial Irrigation District Board of Directors votes to hire lawyer for QSA / Imperial Valley Press
- Jul 20, 2011: IID director asks for QSA lawyer to be placed on agenda / Imperial Valley Press
- Jul 9, 2011: Bureau of Reclamation still undecided on Salton Sea mitigation water / Imperial Valley Press
- Jun 22, 2011: IID updates on Salton Sea, QSA / Imperial Valley Press
- Apr 9, 2011: Quantification Settlement Agreement timeline / MyDesert.com
- Apr 9, 2011: Editorial: Quantification Settlement Agreement water pact must stand / MyDesert.com
- Apr 9, 2011: Don’t use the Salton Sea to undo the Quantification Settlement Agreement / MyDesert.com
- Mar 3, 2011: Lawyer: Imperial Irrigation District mitigates only impacts as a result of Quantification Settlement Agreement / Imperial Valley Press
- Mar 2, 2011: Don’t let the Salton Sea become a toxic dust bowl / MyDesert.com
- Feb 24, 2011: IID to file response to amicus brief on QSA suit / Imperial Valley Press
- Feb 9, 2011: QSA on track to meet mitigation requirements / Imperial Valley Press
- Feb 4, 2011: Imperial Irrigation District board rejects state’s Salton Sea plan / Imperial Valley Press
- Oct 4, 2010: Imperial Irrigation District, Quantification Settlement Agreement parties file appellate briefs / Imperial Valley Press
- Sep 21, 2010: IID GM says water will be sent to the Salton Sea / KXO Radio
- Sep 11, 2010: Voice: The Valley needs peace / Imperial Valley Press
- Jul 13, 2010: Voice: Coincidental occurrences / Imperial Valley Press
- Jun 11, 2010: Environmental groups reject supporting Quantification Settlement Agreement stay, seek renegotiation / Imperial Valley Press
- May 30, 2010: Water politics fuel election / Watchdog Institute
- May 28, 2010: QSA argued at Salton Sea Symposium / Imperial Valley Press
- May 25, 2010: Update on federal Quantification Settlement Agreement lawsuit / GrokSurf
- May 9, 2010: Imperial County challenges feds over QSA / Imperial Valley Press
- May 8, 2010: QSA to continue during appeals process / Imperial Valley Press
- May 5, 2010: Federal hearing on Quantification Settlement Agreement complaint to be held May 13 / GrokSurf
- Mar 8, 2010: Opinion: the litigation needs to stop / Imperial Valley Press
- Feb 27, 2010: Federal takeover of IID water if QSA not appealed? / Imperial Valley Press
- Feb 23, 2010: Just Warming Up: Death of QSA would spell trouble / Imperial Valley Press
- Feb 20, 2010: IID Director OK with no Quantification Settlement Agreement / Imperial Valley Press
- Feb 19, 2010: Quantification Settlement Agreement formally invalidated / Imperial Valley Press
- Feb 18, 2010: QSA continuing progress report / Imperial Valley Press
- Feb 16, 2010: QSA Q&A / Imperial Irrigation District
- Feb 14, 2010: How to poison relations between Imperial Valley and San Diego / GrokSurf
- Feb 14, 2010: Our Opinion: We must stop being own enemy / Imperial Valley Press
- Feb 10, 2010: IID board hears second QSA opinion / Imperial Valley Press
- Feb 3, 2010: Public needs to be engaged in QSA / Imperial Valley Press
- Jan 28, 2010: Update on lawsuits that threaten San Diego’s water transfers from Imperial / GrokSurf
- Jan 14, 2010: San Diego’s supplemental water: still too premature to push the panic button? / GrokSurf
- Dec 17, 2009: Don’t worry, be happy, our water’s safe / GrokSurf
- Dec 14, 2009: Update on the ruling affecting water transfers from Imperial to San Diego / GrokSurf
- Dec 11, 2009: Legal challenge threatens water transfer between Imperial and San Diego / GrokSurf
- Nov 10, 2009: Water transfer from Imperial to San Diego faces new legal challenges / GrokSurf
- Oct 17, 2009: Imperial County, Air Pollution Control District’s federal lawsuit challenges Imperial Irrigation District water transfer / Imperial Valley Press