WSP13002

• File Number: 8282.500
• Description: Coordinated Long Range Operation of Colorado River Reservoirs
• Basin: Colorado Mainstem
• Date: 11/3/2004
• Author: Federal Register
• Title: Long-Range Operating Criteria 6th Review Initiated 1/15/2002 Federal Register notice
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Publication

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Federal Register/Vol. 67, No. 10/Tuesday, January 15, 2002/Notices

1987

February 2001, and are to be applied in
2002. Accordingly, at this time, there is
no need for a review of the Interim
Surplus Guidelines.
Our practice is to make comments,
including names and home addresses of
respondents, available for public
review. Individual respondents may
request that we withhold their home
address from public disclosure, which
we will honor to the extent allowable by
law. There also may be circumstances in
which we would withhold a
respondent's identity from public
disclosure, as allowable by law. If you
wish us to withhold your name and/or
address, you must state this
prominently at the beginning of your
comment. We will make all submissions
from organizations or businesses, and
from individuals identifying themselves
as representatives or officials of
organizations or businesses, available
for public disclosure in their entirety.
In addition to written comments,
open public meetings will be conducted
during calendar year 2002. Notification
of dates, times, and locations for public
meetings will be made through the
Federal Register, media outlets, and to
all respondents to this notice.

Dated: December 20, 2001.
John W. Keys, ill,
Commissioner, Bureau of Reclamation.

Criteria for Coordinated Long-Range
Operation of Colorado River Reservoirs
Pursuant to the Colorado River Basin
Project Act of September 30, 1968 (Pub.
L. 90-537)

These Operating Criteria are
promulgated in compliance with
Section 602 of Public Law 90-537. They
are to control the coordinated long-
range operation of the storage reservoirs
in the Colorado River Basin constructed
under the authority of the Colorado
River Storage Act (hereinafter "Upper
Basin Storage Reservoirs") and the
Boulder Canyon Project Act (Lake
Mead). The Operating Criteria will be
administered consistent with applicable
Federal laws, the Mexican Water Treaty,
interstate compacts, and decrees relating
to the use of the waters ofthe Colorado
River.
The Secretary of the Interior
(hereinafter the "Secretary") may
modify the Operating Criteria from time
to time in accordance with Section
602(b) of Pub. L. 90-537. The Secretary
will sponsor a formal review of the
Operating Criteria at least every 5 years,
with participation by State
representatives as each Governor may
designate and such other parties and
agencies as the Secretary may deem
appropriate.

1. Annual Report

(1) On January 1, 1972, and on
January 1 of each year thereafter, the
Secretary shall transmit to the Congress
and to the Governors of the Colorado
River Basin States a report describing
the actual operation under the adopted
criteria for the preceding compact water
year and the projected plan of operation
for the current year.
(2) The plan of operation shall
include such detailed rules and
quantities as may be necessary and
consistent with the criteria contained
herein, and shall reflect appropriate
consideration of the uses ofthe
reservoirs for purposes, including flood
control, river regulation, beneficial
consumptive uses, power production,
water quality control, recreation,
enhancement of fish and wildlife, and
other environmental factors. The
projected plan of operation may be
revised to reflect the current hydrologic
conditions, and the Congress and the
Governors of the Colorado River Basin
States be advised of any changes by June
of each year.

II. Operation of Upper Basin Reservoirs

(1) The annual plan of operation shall
include a determination by the
Secretary of the quantity of water
considered necessary as of September
30 of each year to be in storage as
required by Section 602(a) of Pub. L.
90-537 (hereinafter "602(a) Storage").
The quantity of 602(a) Storage shall be
determined by the Secretary after
consideration of all applicable laws and
relevant factors, including, but not
limited to, the following:
(a) Historic streamflows;
(b) The most critical period ofrecord;
(c) Probabilities of water supply;
(d) Estimated future depletions of the
upper basin, including the effects of
recurrence of critical periods of water
supply;
(e) The "Report of the Committee on
Probabilities and Test Studies to the
Task Force on Operating Criteria for the
Colorado River," dated October 30,
1969, and such additional studies as the
Secretary deems necessary;
(f) The necessity to assure that upper
basing consumptive uses not be
impaired because of failure to store
sufficient water to assure deliveries
under Section 602(a)(1) and (2) of Pub.
L. 90.537.
(2) If, in the plan of operation, either:
(a) The Upper Basin Storage
Reservoirs active storage forecast for
September 30 of the current year is less
than the quantity of 602(a) Storage
determined by the Secretary under
Article H(l) hereof, for that date; or

(b) The Lake Powell active storage
forecast for that date is less than the
Lake Mead active storage forecast for
that date:
the objective shall be to maintain a
minimum release of water from
Lake Powell of 8.23 million acre-
feet for that year. However, for the
years ending September 30, 1971
and 1972, the release may be greater
than 8.23 million acre-feet if
necessary to deliver 75,000,000
acre-feet at Lee Ferry for the 10-year
period ending September 30,1972.
(3) If, the plan of operation, the Upper
Basin Storage Reservoirs active storage
forecast for September 30 of the current
water year is greater than the quantity
of 602(a) Storage determination for that
date, water shall be released annually
from Lake Powell at a rate greater than
8.23 million acre-feet per year to the
extent necessary to accomplish any or
all of the following objectives:
(a) to the extent it can be reasonably
applied in the States of the Lower
Division to the uses specified in Article
III(e) of the Colorado River Compact, but
no such releases shall be made when the
active storage in Lake Powell is less
than the active storage in Lake Mead,
(b) to maintain, as nearly as
practicable, active storage in Lake Mead
equal to the active storage in Lake
Powell, and
(c) to avoid anticipated spills from
Lake Powell.
(4) In the application of Article H(3)(b)
herein, the annual release will be made
to the extent that it can be passed
through Glen Canyon Powerplant when
operated at the available capability of
the powerplant. Any water thus retained
in Lake Powell to avoid bypass of water
at the Glen Canyon Powerplant will be
released through the Glen Canyon
Powerplant as soon as practicable to
equalize the active storage in Lake
Powell and Lake Mead.
(5) Releases from Lake Powell
pursuant to these criteria shall not
prejudice the position of either the
upper or lower basin interests with
respect to required deliveries at Lee
Ferry pursuant to the Colorado River
Compact.

Ill. Operation of Lake Mead

(1) Water released from Lake Powell,
plus the tributary inflows between Lake
Powell and Lake Mead, shall be
regulated in Lake Mead and either
pumped from Lake Mead or released to
the Colorado River to meet requirements
as follows:
(a) Mexican Treaty obligations;
(b) Reasonable consumptive use
requirements of mainstream users in the
Lower Basin;