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. .'... THE SECRETARY OF THE INTERIOR WASHINGTON OCT I 4 1991 Honorable Roy Romer Governor of Colorado Denver, Colorado 80203 Dear Governor Romer: The Bureau of Reclamation, after consultation at a meeting on July 29, 1997, with representatives of the Colorado River Basin States, the Upper Colorado River Commission, appropriate Federal agencies, Indian tribes, and other interested parties in Colorado River operations, established the 1998 Annual Ope..atingPIan;{(AGP)'~(copy enclosed) for the Colorado River reservoirs. The plan of operation reflects use of the reservoirs for all purposes consistent with the "Criteria for Coordinated Long-Range Operation of the Colorado River Reservoirs Pursuant to the Colorado River Basin Project Act of September 30, 1968" (Operating Criteria). Pursuant to required Secretarial determinations, storage equalization and the avoidance of spills will control the annual releases from Glen Canyon Dam in accordance with Article II(3) of the Operating .' Criteria, unless the minimum objective release criterion in Article II(2) is controlling. If the equalization criterion is controlling, Glen Canyon Dam will be operated to release sufficient water during water year 1998 to equalize, as nearly as practicable, the active reservoir contents of Lake Powell and Mead on September 30, 1998. Taking into account (1) the existing water supply 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 1998 in accordance with Article ID(3)(b) of the Operating Criteria and Article II(2)(B) of the decree in Arizona v. California. This determination is warranted based on the current and projected hydrologic conditions in the Colorado River Basin and water needs in the Lower Division States, utilizing an analysis of future reservoir conditions, Lake Powell releases, and flood control releases. A volume of2,097 MCM (1.7 MAF) of water will be scheduled for delivery to Mexico during calendar year 1998 in accordance with Article 15 of the 1944 Mexican Treaty and Minute No. 242 of the International Boundary and Water Commission. While there still is no agreed upon long- term strategy for the determination of surplus conditions, the making of this determination, based on flood control and spill avoidance considerations, does not preclude the Secretary from adopting other determination criteria in future years. Any Lower Division State will be allowed to use water apportioned to, but unused by, another Lower Division State in accordance with ArticleII(B)(6) of the decree in Arizona v. California. '-"