WSP11064

• File Number: 8282.500
• Description: Colorado River Operations
• Basin: Colorado Mainstem
• Date: 10/30/1969
• Author: USDOI/BOR
• Title: Report of the Committee on Probabilities and Test Studies to the Task Force on Operating Criteria for the Colorado River
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Publication

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REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON PROBABILITIES AND TEST STUDIES 'TO
THE TASK FORCE ON OPERATING CRITERIA FOR THE COLORADO RIVER

This group was formed to make whatever studies seemed appropriate to define

the effects of several parameters which might possibly be considered for

inclusion in the criteria and to test the criteria with a range of poss~ble

effects which might occur in the future.

In general, we studied the following parameters which would appear to be

items which should be defined by the operating criteria:

(a) A storage reserve in the Upper Basin to assure the delivery

of priority 1 and 2 water during periods of subnormal runoff.

(b) A minimum annual release at Lake Powell.

(c) A rule governing the magnitude of releases from Lake Mead.

In addition, we tested the criteria by imposing on the following items

ranges of values, which we believe encompass the more likely possibilities

which could occur in the future:

(a) Streamflow sequences.

(b) Upper Basin depletions.

(c) Lower Basin uses and losses.

In applying these various operating criteria and estimates of future uses

and water supply, we ran 146 computer studies to evaluate their potential

effects on the future operation of the river. A summary of various result-

ing values from these studies is shown on Table I, pages 2, 3, 4, and 5.

Although most of the studies involved various combinations of the six items

listed above, we also ran two unique studies at the request of members of

this group. One study involved the production of firm power at Hoover and

one of the studies involved the operation of the system under depletion

conditions which are estimated to occur after year 2000.