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The Quantification Settlement Agreement of 2003 is an agreement between the Imperial Irrigation District, the San Diego County Water Authority, and several other federal, local, and state water agencies. Under the terms of the agreement, the Imperial Irrigation District (IID) agreed to transfer large quantities of irrigation water to the San Diego County Water Authority while providing a pathway for the state of California to restore the Salton Sea. According to the IID, "The Quantification Settlement Agreement and Related Agreements are a set of inter-related contracts that settle certain disputes among the United States, the State of California, IID, Metropolitan Water District, Coachella Valley Water District and the San Diego County Water Authority."〔(【引用サイトリンク】title=QSA - Water Transfer )〕 The implementation of the agreement has been controversial, as critics have argued that the agreement was passed without proper environmental review. The impact on the surrounding environment has been cited by opponents, who argue that the policies of the agreement are severely damaging the Salton Sea and Colorado River. In addition, a protracted drought affecting the state of California has complicated the debate about effective water control policies. Prior to the agreement, there was comparatively little environmental impact on the ecologically fragile Salton Sea. If upheld by the courts, the conditions will remain in force for up to 75 years. ==Background== In the 1920s, farmers in the Imperial Valley were using the Colorado River and Salton Sea as sources for irrigation water. The surrounding ecosystem changed somewhat rapidly, and "by 1929, the combination of evaporation and agricultural drainage water increased the Sea's salinity, eliminating most of the fresh water fish species." In addition to fish, migratory birds have long inhabited the region, and there is concern that pollutants are damaging the population. Most notably, "salt, selenium and pesticides are carried into the sea with agricultural return flows, which originates largely from Imperial Valley farms."〔 With the post-World War II population growth in Southern California, there has been an increasing demand for water sources to supply both urban and existing agricultural areas. The Colorado River currently supplies approximately a quarter of the water for these areas. Along with increased water demand, a protracted drought throughout the state has complicated the debate about effective water control and usage policies. In 2003, California suffered from an extended drought, and there was considerable discussion and debate about how much water each water district was entitled to receive from the Colorado River and its tributaries. As a result, several organizations negotiated an agreement for water rights for their associated districts: the San Diego County Water Authority, the Coachella Valley Water District, the Imperial Irrigation District, the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, and the U.S. Department of the Interior. The agreement was a compromise that divided available water resources between the environmentally fragile Imperial Valley and the more heavily populated areas of Southern California. Among California agricultural regions, the Imperial Valley uses a substantial portion of the Colorado River water that is allotted to the state each year. Approximately 3.1 million of the 4.4 million acre feet of water the state receives annually from the Colorado River is used by the Imperial Irrigation District. According to the Imperial Irrigation District, "As a result of the QSA, California can creatively stretch its limited Colorado River resource by allowing urban areas to fund water conservation efforts in the Imperial Valley in exchange for use of the conserved water." Much attention has been paid to the impact of the Quantification Settlement Agreement on the Salton Sea, and ''Wired Magazine'' notes that "Considered to be among the world's most vital avian habitats and-until recently-one of its most productive fisheries, the Salton Sea is in a state of wild flux." At one time a thriving ecosystem formed following an irrigation accident in 1905, the Salton Sea has increasingly faced higher levels of salinity in addition to shrinking water volume. The Quantification Settlement Agreement intended to provide a pathway for restoring this ecosystem.〔 In addition to the purported environmental benefits, the Quantification Settlement Agreement is of particular importance to the Imperial Valley region due to the economic conditions of the area. In a recent article for the ''New Yorker'', Dana Goodyear noted that "The deal gives Imperial billions of dollars to spend on improving efficiency on its farms and its irrigation infrastructure, which in some parts is primitive."〔 Some potential improvements to this system include the installation of improved pumping systems and more durable canal infrastructure.〔 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Quantification Settlement Agreement」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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