WSP13016

• File Number: 8282.600.10.B
• Description: 2000 Annual Operating Plan
• Basin: Colorado Mainstem
• Author: USDOI/BOR
• Title: 29th Annual Report and 2000 Annual Operating Plan for Colorado Riber System Reservoirs
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Publication

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Lower Basin Reservoirs

Water shall be released or pumped from Lake Mead to meet the following requirements:

(a)
(b)

1944 Mexican Water Treaty obligations;
Reasonable beneficial consumptive use requirements of mainstream users in
the Lower Division States;
Net river losses;
Net reservoir losses;
Regulatory wastes; and
Flood control.

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The Operating Criteria provide that after the commencement of delivery of mainstream water by ~:p.r \~
means of the CAP, the Secretary of the Interior will determine the extent to which the reasonable ()..IT ~?
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beneficial consumptive use requirements of mainstream users are met in the Lower Division \'~!1
States. The reasonable beneficial consumptive use requirements are met depending on whether fI'.\; V~J
a normal, surplus, or shortage condition has been determined. The normal condition is defined (\I,ra-c, ,/'P'
as annual pumping and release from Lake Mead sufficient to satisfY 9,251 MCM (7.500 MAF) kr1,9
of consumptive use in accordance with Article ill(3)(a) of the Operating Criteria and Article /~
II(B)(I) of the U.S. Supreme Court decree in Arizona v. California. The surplus condition is ~vJ ~~t'~
defined as annual pumping and release from Lake Mead sufficient to satisfY in excess of 9 ,251;~ tI b :J..
MCM (7.500 MAF) of consumptive use in accordance with Article m(3)(b) of the Operating ~~')~
Criteria and Article II(B)(2) of the U.S. Supreme Court decree in Arizona v. California. \)e\'

(c)
(d)
(e)
(f)

The current water supply conditions forecast mandatory flood control releases that are projected
to be above downstream requirements in January and February of calendar year 2000. Using a
most probable inflow forecast for 2000, flood control releases are also projected in the beginning
of calendar year 2001. Therefore, taking into account (1) the existing water storage conditions
in the basin, (2) the most probable near-term water supply conditions in the basin, and (3) that
the beneficial consumptive use requirements of Colorado River mainstream users in the Lower
Division States are expected to be more than 9,250 MCM (7.5 MAF), the surplus condition is
the criterion governing the operation of Lake Mead for calendar year 2000 in accordance with
Article m(3)(b) of the Operating Criteria and Article II(B)(2) of the decree in Arizona v.
California.

While there still is no agreed upon long term strategy for the determination of surplus conditions,
the making ofthis determination, based on flood control and spill avoidance considerations, does
not preclude the Secretary from adopting other determination criteria in future years.
Reclamation has initiated the National Environmental Policy Act process and has solicited
comments on the development of specific surplus criteria for management of the Colorado River
in a Federal Register notice on May 18, 1999 (64 Fed. Reg., No. 95, p. 27008). Reclamation
continues to work on the development of specific surplus criteria.

Nothing in the decree in Arizona v. California prohibits the SecretaIy of the Interior from
releasing water apportioned, but unused, in any Lower Division State for that year for

December 1, 1999

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