EL CENTRO, Calif. — California's poorest county found itself under enormous pressure Monday to sell a portion of its Colorado River water from desert farms to cities — or trigger an immediate cut in the state's water supply.
The Bush administration has given a water board in the Imperial Valley until midnight today to decide, along with the ultimatum: Sell the water or we will take it away.
Imperial has what everybody in the thirsty West wants. More than a trillion gallons of Colorado River water is poured across the area, turning the desert into one of the richest farm belts on Earth.
"Sometimes it's not good to be the big fish in the pond," said Don Cox, a retired farmer and former member of the Imperial Irrigation District's board. "Everybody's trying to catch you."
Three weeks ago, Imperial's water board narrowly rejected a deal to sell a portion of its massive share of Colorado River water to San Diego for the next 75 years. The deal, years in the making, was the cornerstone of a broader agreement to wean California from its overdependence on the Colorado.
Following weeks of intense discussion with other Southern California water agencies aimed at resurrecting the deal, the Imperial Valley water board scheduled a series of meetings Monday and today. The board said it could take action today.
In recent days, negotiators for four California water boards have come up with a proposal to try to lay to rest the Imperial district's concern about losing the water and resulting environmental problems.
The proposal involves hundreds of millions of dollars in state funds and loan guarantees to cover the cost of environmental mitigation.
However, at Monday night's board meeting, four of the five Imperial district directors said they were uncomfortable voting on a proposal that was still in the process of being drafted in a document.
"I'm not going to be bullied into signing a contract because it's the end of the year," said Stella Mendoza. president of the board. "I don't think that even at this stage that it's a good deal for the valley."
All five board members said they resented threats by federal officials to cut California's supply of Colorado River water if they don't sign.
"Any compromise that we make is going to be viewed as knuckling under to these threats," said Andy Horne, another director.
Members of the public urged the board to vote against selling any water to San Diego. They encouraged the panel to take the federal government to court to determine if it has the authority to cut the valley's water supply.
The area's water rights have withstood several previous challenges since being established during the Great Depression.
"I think it's time to have a battle," Larry Bratton, an El Centro business owner, told the board. "Move no further until we get control of our water."
Bill DuBois, an 87-year-old Imperial County rancher, said "it's very easy to surrender your rights but it's very tough to get them back."
Unless Imperial's water board approves a deal by New Year's Eve, Interior Secretary Gale Norton will force Imperial farmers and water districts serving Los Angeles and San Diego to live with less water from the Colorado in 2003.
Even if the board refuses to change its vote, taps won't run dry in California. Water agencies that supply Los Angeles and San Diego say they have enough reserves to supply 17 million customers for at least two years.
In Imperial, the cuts will deprive the county of about 7 percent of its supply of Colorado River water — roughly the same amount that would have gone to San Diego under the sale.
"If that's not a threat, what is a threat?" Cox said.
Heavy-handed attempts to pressure the board backfired Dec. 9 when it voted 3-2 to reject the water transfer to San Diego. Water is the lifeblood of the dusty county in California's southeastern corner, producing $1 billion worth of food each year. Members of the water board said they were unwilling to give it up without a fight.
Board members said the deal's main flaw was that it failed to address its concerns over the Salton Sea, a huge sump that would quickly become too salty for fish and birds if it weren't for water running off farm fields in the Imperial Valley.
Time was also running out on a bill passed this year by the California Legislature that gave Imperial County broad protections from environmental impact to the Salton Sea. That bill is set to expire Dec. 31.
For years, California has used more water than it is entitled to because the six other states that share the Colorado didn't use their fair share. With rapid growth across the West and the worst drought in the Colorado's recorded history, the U.S. Interior is cracking down on California.