WSPC12492 ‎(2)‎

• File Number: 8220.101.10
• Description: Colorado River Water Projects - Glen Canyon Dam-Lake Powell - Adaptive Management
• State: CO
• Basin: Colorado Mainstem
• Date: 10/6/1998
• Author: Unknown
• Title: Background and Principles for Negotiation - Special Interim Criteria for Releases of Water from Lake Mead During Phase I of the California 4-4 Plan - Various Drafts - 10-06-98 and 10-19-98
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Report/Study

OCT-19-1998 08:47 FROM GLENWOOD BLUEPRINT

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to about 4.8 maf in. a normal year. Phase II would further reduce California's total demand to 4.4
mafin a normal year.

Critical elements necessary to implement the 4.4 Plan include: 1) agreement between the
SDCW A and the Imperial Irrigation District (IID) to implement water conservation measures
within the IIDj 2) agreement between MWD and SDCW A for use ofthe CRA; and 3) agreement
by lID and the Coachella Valley Water District (CVWD) for quantification of their respective
rights under the third priority. Quantification of Palo Verde lnigation District's rights under the
3(b) priority also needs to be discussed. lID, SDCWA and MWD have reached provisional
agreement on the first two elements. The CVWD/IID/Interior discussions on the third element
are ongoing.

The sLx states and the Secretary of the Interior have stated that~ if the 4.4 Plan is
implemented, they will consider the adoption of interim criteria by the Secretary that ",,'ill provide
to MWD and SDCW A greater security of supply through the CRA than currently exists, during
implementation of the 4.4 Plan. The MWD/SDCW A agreement is specifically conditioned on.
"The promulgation and application by the Secretary of the Interior (the "Secretary") of surplus
criteria, including river re-operations, that are sufficient, together with those other water supplies
that are under the control ofMWD, to assure that the Colorado River Aqueduct ("CRA") is full
at least through 2015." The six Colorado River Basin states were not involved in the
development of, and are not parties to, that agreement.

The 1968 Colorado River Basin Project Act, 9602(a), requires the Secretary of the
Interior to adopt criteria for the coordinated long-range operation of specified Colorado River
System reservoirs, including Lakes Powell and Mead. Such criteria were adopted by the
Secretary in 1970, and have not been modified since. Section 602(b) authorizes the Secretary to
modify the criteria "as a result of actual operating experience or unforseen circumstances, . . . to
better achieve the pwposes specified in subsection (a) of this section, but only after
correspondence with the Governors of the seven Colorado River Basin States and appropriate
consultation with such State representatives as each Governor may designate." The Criteria
recognize that the Secretary may modify the Criteria "from time to time," but will sponsor a
formal revie~ of the Criteria every five years.

Article ill of the Criteria establishes criteria for the operation of Lake Mead, including
criteria for normal, surplus and shortage determinations under the decree in Arizona v.
California. The decree in Arizona v. California establishes how much water will be apportioned
to each state in such conditions. The decree also provides in Article II(B)(6) that the Secretary
may release water apportioned to but unused in a state during any such year for consumptive use
in another state.

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