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<br />Actual Operations Under Criteria - Water Year 1995 <br /> <br />Water year 1995 signalled the end of dry hydrological <br />conditions in the basin. Basinwide precipitation during 1995 <br />was above average and translated into an above average <br />snowpack. At the beginning of the runoff season the <br />basinwide runoff forecast was 107 percent of average, varying <br />betwen 89 percent of normal in the Green River basin to 140 <br />percent of normal in the San Juan Basin. However, very <br />cold, wet weather dominated late April and May resulting in <br />very deep snowpacks above the 10,000 feet elevation. Hot <br />weather in mid-June produced high runoff peaks and <br />boosted the runoff volume significantly. This produced a <br />well above average runoff throughout the basin. Runoff in <br />the Green River was 117 percent of average, the Gunnison <br />was 155 percent of average, the San Juan basin was 149 <br />percent of average and Lake Powell was 141 percent of <br />average. <br /> <br />With the high runoff during 1995 there were numerous <br />reports of local flooding, but most damage was minimal. <br /> <br />Unregulated inflow into Lake Powell in water year 1995 was <br />20,095 million cubic meters (16,29t,OOO acre-feet), 139 <br />percent of the long term average. This inflow resulted in the <br />gain of 5,597 million cubic meters (4,538,000 acre-feet) of <br />storage in Lake Powell. <br /> <br />Approximately 1,220 million cubic meters (989,000 acre-feet) <br />of storage was gained in upstream reservoirs. With an <br />additional gain of approximately 1,192 million cubic meters <br />(966,000 acre-feet) within the Lower Basin reservoirs, the <br />total Colorado storage system gained approximately 8,009 <br />million cubic meters (6,493,000 acre-feet) during water year <br />1995. It is now estimated that it would talce two years of <br />average inflow to completely fill the storage system. During <br />1995, all deliveries of water to meet obligations pursuant to <br />"The Law of the River" were maintained. <br /> <br />During water year 1995, Mexico received a total delivery of <br />approximately 2,001 million cubic meters (1,622,000 acre- <br />feet) at the Northerly International Boundary (NIB). There <br />were flood control releases from Painted Rock Dam on the <br />Gila River during water year 1995. The Gila River <br />confluence with the Colorado River is between Laguna Dam <br />and Morelos Dam. The volume delivered at NIB will be <br />satisfied with Colorado River water. Of that volume, <br />approximately 362 million cubic meters (294,000 acre-feet) <br />will have been released through Laguna Dam; and the. <br />remaining 1,258 million cubic meters (1,019,000 acre-feet) <br />will have been discharged through Siphon Drop and Pilot <br />Knob Powerplants on the All-American Canal. <br /> <br />2 <br />