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<br />irrigation rights against any upstream HUP beneficiary provided that; the Check is physically <br />operable; there is at least 66,000 acre-feet of water in storage in the Green Mountain Reservoir <br />HUP, or approved substitute storage reservoir, when Green Mountain Reservoir storage rights <br />cease to be in priority; and the water rights for the Shoshone Power Plant continue to be <br />exercised in a manner consistent with their historical operation. (Section 3.b. of the Stipulation <br />and Agreement) The United State also agrees not to place a call for its water rights for the <br />federal Grand Valley Power Plant during the irrigation season provided the above conditions are <br />met. <br /> <br />The Stipulation and Agreement also provides that Reclamation may declare water surplus that is <br />in excess of the needs of HUP beneficiaries for a given water year. Water declared surplus will <br />be delivered first to the Grand Valley Power Plant to the degree surplus is available and is <br />needed to generate power at the plant. Additional surplus water may be delivered through other <br />agreements to beneficial uses in Western Colorado. This is to be done in accordance with the <br />provisions of the HUP Operating Criteria, which are summarized below: <br /> <br />Manae:ement of the HUP Under the Operatine: Criteria <br /> <br />The management of the HUP is accomplished through the process defined in Sections 3.d. and <br />3.e. of the Operating Criteria. This process requires Reclamation to conduct a meeting with the <br />other managing entities on or before June 30 of each year to develop an annual operating plan for <br />the HUP, the Orchard Mesa Check and the Grand Valley Power plant. <br /> <br />The Annual HUP Operating Plan is developed by the Bureau of Reclamation, in consultation <br />with the Grand Valley Water Users Association, the Orchard Mesa Irrigation District, the Grand <br />Valley Irrigation Company, the Division 5 Engineer, the Colorado Water Conservation Board <br />and, Fish and Wildlife Service. These entities, including Reclamation, are collectively known as <br />the Managing Entities'. The Managing Entities agree to make a good faith effort to develop an <br />Annual HUP Operating Plan that is unanimously supported. However, Reclamation reserves the <br />right to establish a release schedule, should unanimous support be unattainable. It is expressly <br />recognized, however, that in some years, release of the entire HUP by the end of the irrigation <br />season will not be necessary or possible. <br /> <br />On or before June 30 of each year Reclamation conducts a meeting with the other Managing <br />Entities to develop an annual operating plan for the HUP, the Orchard Mesa Check and the <br />Grand Valley Power Plant. The Annual HUP Operating Plan is to be based upon actual HUP <br />storage conditions, projected runoff forecasts, operational and climatological conditions, <br />projected irrigation demands, and 15-Mile Reach flow needs. The Annual HUP Operating Plan <br />will cover operations for the July through October irrigation season. <br /> <br />The HUP operations are reviewed and modified by the Managing Entities as necessary to <br />respond to changing conditions. Subsequent meetings or conference calls are held on an as <br />needed basis to reexamine HUP storage conditions, runoff forecasts, climatological <br />conditions, irrigation demands, 15-Mile Reach flow needs, and other operational conditions. <br /> <br />24 <br />