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Minute 319 and the Central Arizona Project

Arizona Edition - Beginning March 23rd and lasting for 8 weeks, about 1 percent of the Colorado River will be released to makes its way to Sea of Cortez and bring new life as it flows through the once lush river delta.  It is part of Minute 319, an agreement signed by Mexico and the U.S. more than a year ago to amend the 1944 U.S./Mexico Water Treaty that established rules for sharing the waters of the Colorado River.  Minute 319 is a five-year agreement to cooperate on measures to preserve and study the Colorado River Basin, the stretch between the U.S.-Mexico border and the Sea of Cortez that was once a lush network of wetlands and river channels but is now a parched and mostly barren wasteland.

While Mexico negotiates for itself when it comes to Colorado River water, here in the United States there are several stakeholders from up and down the Colorado River with an interest in how water is allocated.

One of those stakeholders is the Central Arizona Project.  Chuck Cullum is the Colorado River Programs Managers at C.A.P.  Cullum says the minute 319 agreement with Mexico is an opportunity for all parties to share in the risks and rewards of regional water management.  KAWC’s Lou Gum spoke with Cullum and began the conversation by asking him for a little background on what the Central Arizona Project is and how it finds itself involved in this international negotiation…(originally aired 03/19/14).

This piece was featured in the March 19th Arizona Edition.  Other pieces featured in the show can be found below in the related content section.

Lou grew up in Tucson and has a long family history in the state of Arizona. He began his public radio career in 1988 at KNAU in Flagstaff as a classical music DJ and has been hooked on public radio since, transitioning to news after trying his hand at several other careers in publishing and commercial broadcasting. Lou has a degree in American Studies from Arizona State University and was KAWC's Morning Edition host for two and half years before becoming News and Operations Director.
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