WSP12329

• File Number: 822.600.10
• Description: Colorado River Annual Operating Plan - Annual Reports
• Basin: Colorado Mainstem
• Date: 1/1/1995
• 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
C~ 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

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Uoper Basin Delivery. The minimum objective release of 10,153 MCM, equivalent to ("
8.230 MAF(ll, will be released from Glen Canyon Dam during water year 199~
accordance with Article II(2) of the Operating Criteria unless the equalization criterion in
Article II(3) 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 MCM
(7.500 MAF), the normal condition is the criterion governing the operation of Lake Mead
c:-ron:alena:ar"yelil'-rg9~in accordance with Article 1II(3)(a) of the Operating Criteria and
Article II(B)(I) of the decree in Arizona v. California. All reasonable beneficial
.~;>",I)'consumptive needs of Colorado River mainstream users will be met in calendar year
~jJr r G' 11995.
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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 v. California.

(1) units of volume used in this document are million cubic meters (MCM), followed by
equivalent million acre feet (MAF)

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