WSP09804

• File Number: 822.600.10
• Description: Colorado River Annual Operating Plan - Annual Reports
• Basin: Colorado Mainstem
• Date: 1/1/1996
• Author: USDOI/BOR
• Title: Annual Operating Plan
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Annual Report

Water Treaty and Minute No. 242 of the International Boundary and Water Commission,
United States and Mexico (IBWC); (4) whether the reasonable consumptive use
requirements of mainstream users in the Lower Division States will be met under a
"normal", "surplus", or "shortage" condition as outlined in Article III of the Operating
Criteria; and (5) whether water apportioned to, but unused by one or more Lower
Division States exists and can be used to satisfy beneficial consumptive use requests of
mainstream users in other Lower Division States as provided in the 1964 U.S. Supreme
Court decree in Arizona v. California.

Consistent with the above determinations and in accordance with other provisions of "The
Law of the River," the AOP was developed with "appropriate consideration of the uses of
the reservoirs for all purposes, including flood control, river regulation, beneficial
consumptive uses, power production, water quality control, recreation, enhancement of
fish and wildlife, and other environmental factors" (Operating Criteria, Article 1(2)).

Since the hydrologic conditions of the Colorado River Basin can never be completely
known in advance, the AOP addresses the operations resulting from three different
hydrologic scenarios: the probable maximum, most probable, and probable minimum
reservoir inflow conditions. River operations under the plan are modified during the year
as runoff predictions are adjusted to reflect existing snowpack, basin storage, and flow
conditions.

Summary

Upper Basin Delivery. Storage equalization will control the annual releases from Glen
Canyon Dam in accordance with Article II(3) of the Operating Criteria unless the
minimum objective release criterion in Article II(2) is controlling.

Lower Basin Uses. Taking into account the existing and predicted water supply
conditions in the basin and that the reasonable beneficial consumptive use requirements of
mainstream users in the Lower Division States are expected to be less than 9,252 million
cubic meters (MCM) [or 7.500 million acre-feet (MAF)], the normal condition is the
criterion governing the operation of Lake Mead for calendar year 1996 in accordance
with Article III(3)(a) of the Operating Criteria and Article II(B)(l) of the decree in
Arizona Y. California. All reasonable beneficial consumptive needs of Colorado River
mainstream users will be met in calendar year 1996.

Any Lower Division State will be allowed to utilize water apportioned to, but unused by,
another Lower Division State, in accordance with Article II(B)(6) of the decree in
Arizona Y. California.

1944 Mexican Water Treaty Delivery. The guaranteed annual quantity of 1,850 MCM
(1.500 MAF) of water will be delivered to Mexico during calendar year 1996 in
accordance with Article 15 of the 1944 Mexican Water Treaty and Minute No. 242 of the
IBWC.

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