WSP12637

• File Number: 8282.300
• Description: Colorado River Operations and Accounting - Lower Basin Administrative Procedures
• State: CO
• Basin: Colorado Mainstem
• Water Division: 5
• Date: 8/1/1996
• Author: DOI-BOR
• Title: Description and Assessment of Operations-Maintenance and Sensitive Species of the Lower Colorado River - Volume I - Report - 08-01-96
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Report/Study

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"If, by mutual agreement, any part of the quantities of water specified in this
paragraph are delivered to Mexico at points on the land boundary otherwise
than through the All-American Canal, the above quantities of water and rates
of deliveries set out under Schedule II of this Article shall be correspondingly
diminished. "

6. Power Operations

Each of the major lower Colorado River hydroelectric facilities have legislative authorization
for the production of electric power. Reclamation is the Federal agency authorized to
produce this power. Water is released from Hoover Dam (approximate elevation 1,200 feet
above mean sea level [msl]) through a combination of the 19 dedicated generator pipes into
Lake Mohave (approximately 640 feet in elevation). Water is then released through
Davis Dam through a combination of the five dedicated generator pipes into Lake Havasu
(approximate elevation 448 feet). Since Parker Dam is the last major United States-owned,
Reclamation-administered hydroelectric facility on the lower Colorado River and there is no
other significant downstream storage, all releases scheduled from Parker Dam are in response
to downstream water orders or reservoir regulation requirements.

Although Reclamation is the Federal agency authorized to produce this power, Western Area
Power Administration (WAPA or Western) is the Federal agency authorized to market this
power. WAPA enters into electric service contracts on behalf of the United States with
private and municipal entities.

The topic of power operations in the lower basin must be prefaced with a discussion of the
authorizing legislation for the DOE under Public Law 95-91 dated August 4, 1977. Section
302 of this law is entitled "Transfers from the Department of the Interior. " Section
302(a)(I)(E) transferred from the Secretary of the Interior to the Secretary of Energy the
following functions:

"(E) the power marketing functions of the Bureau of Reclamation, including
the construction, operation, and maintenance of transmission lines and
attendant facilities;"

This is the legislative authority for the creation of W APA. W APA entered into a Joint
Operating Agreement (lOA) with Reclamation's Lower Colorado Region dated February 8,
1980, to implement section 302(a)(1)(E) of Public Law 95-91. At the time, Reclamation was
known as the Water and Power Resources Service (Service). The "System Operations"
section of the lOA states in pertinent part:

"Service will adhere to Western's generation schedules and cooperate with
Western on operations and maintenance of Federal power facilities." [emphasis
added]

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