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<br />Additional Releases
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<br />View 01 Weeping Rock, Green River
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<br />Waler Year 1980
<br />On August 21. 1979. the Colorado River
<br />BasIn States and other interested parties
<br />met in Salt Lake City, Utah. to diScuss
<br />the operational plan for the Colorado
<br />River and schedule of releases from Lake
<br />Mead during water year 1980, Recog-
<br />nizing the high probability of flood con-
<br />trol releases being required during 19BO
<br />and 1981, the plan adopted for 1980
<br />included the release from Lake Mead of
<br />about 700,000 acre-feet of water in
<br />excess of downstream requirements .for
<br />the purposes of river regulation and
<br />anticipated flood control operation. This
<br />operating plan was also consistent with
<br />the declaration made by the
<br />Representatives of the Secretary of the
<br />Intenor at the integration meeting held
<br />June 13, 1979, in Boulder City, Nev" to
<br />release water at Hoover Dam suHicient to
<br />generate contract-defined firm energy
<br />during operating year 1980.
<br />
<br />The Commissioner, United States Sec.
<br />tion, International Boundary and Water
<br />Commission, was notified of the availability
<br />of additional water for Mexico during
<br />calendar year 1980 and a monthly sched-
<br />ule for delivery of up to 1,700,000 acre-
<br />feet pursuant to the Mexican Water
<br />Treaty of 1944 was requesled,
<br />
<br />During the winter and spring months
<br />precipitation and snow accumulation in
<br />Ihe Upper Basin resulted in higher than
<br />average runoff to Lake Powell. Further.
<br />more, high runoff conditions in the Bill
<br />Williams River and Gila River drainages
<br />mandated wInter and spring .flood con-
<br />trol releases by the Corps of Eng ineers
<br />from Alamo and Painted Rock Dams.
<br />
<br />On April 10, 1980 a meeting of Federal,
<br />State, and Basin interests to discuss
<br />"Colorado River Basin Water Conditions"
<br />and proposed plans for reservoir opera-
<br />tions was held in Las Vegas, Ne\l. The
<br />principal subject of discussion at that
<br />meeting was the proposed release of an
<br />average of 19,000 cubic feet per second
<br />from Parker Dam beginning May 1, 1980,
<br />and continuing through December 31,
<br />1980, in order to avoid making future
<br />releases of a flooding magnitude and,
<br />coincidentally, to optimize power genera-
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<br />Hoover Dam and Lake Mead
<br />
<br />tion. This plan of operation, including the
<br />further additional releases, was also
<br />implemented consistent with the opera-
<br />tional strategy approved by the Assistant
<br />Secretary of the Interior in 1979, The
<br />Colorado River Basin States were sub-
<br />sequently notified that such releases
<br />from Lake Mead during the period. which
<br />would create storage space greater than
<br />that reqUired by the then current flood
<br />control regulations, would be accounted
<br />for as being retained in storage for the
<br />purposes of storage equalization under
<br />Sec, 602(a), Public Law 90-537,
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