14d ‎(2)‎

• Board Meeting Date: 7/22/2008
• Description: Directors' Reports - CWCB Director
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Memo

COLORADO RIVER WATER USE - As of June 1, 2008, storage in the four major Upper Basin
reservoirs increased by 1,803,010 acre-feet and storage in the Lower Basin reservoirs decreased by
225,500 acre-feet during May 2008. Total system active storage as of June 2 was 32.585 million acre-feet
(MAF), or 5 5 percent of capacity, which is 1.108 MAF less than one year ago. (Upper Basin reservoirs
decreased by 0.285 MAF, and Lower Basin reservoirs decreased by 0.823 MAF.)
The end-of year measure for 2004 California agricultural consumptive use of Colorado River water under the
first three priorities and the sixth priority of the 1931 Cal ~ornia Seven Party Agreement was reported as
3.524 MAF; and for 2005, the end-of year measure was 3.581 MAF. The target under the Interim
Surplus Guidelines (ISG) for the end of 2003 was 3.740 MAF, and the target for 2006 is 3.640 MAF,
thus California was in compliance with the ISG through 2005. 2007 end-of year use was reported as
3.753 MAF. Tracking of use in 2008 is shown in the graph below, with forecasted uses at the end of
2008 of approximately 3.724 MAF.
June 1 Forecast of 2008 Year-End Colorado River
Water Use by the California Agricultural Agencies
5
4
3.850 MAF
3
2
0
First of Month
2003 Target = 3.74 MAF
2006 Target = 3.64 MAF
w - ~ - 2009 Target = 3.53 MAF
®®~ 2012 Ta rget = 3.47 MAF
TYear-End Forecast
~ Use This Year
COLORADO RIVER ANNUAL OPERATING PLAN (AOP) -The first meeting for
development of the 2009 AOP was held on July 14th. The initial draft AOP indicates that Lake Powell
will operate in the "Upper Balancing Tier." Therefore, the release from Lake Powell will be 8.23 MAF
unless certain conditions defined in that Tier occur. The Lake Powell equalization elevation (i.e. the
602(a) storage level) is 3639 in 2009. The "Intentionally Created Surplus Condition" is the criterion that
will govern the operations of Lake Mead in 2009, essentially normal releases of 9.2 to 9.3 MAF adjusted
for water either stored or recovered from the Water Banks and repayments of Inadvertent Overruns. The
Colorado River 2009 AOP can be found at httpa/www.usbr. ov/uc/under the "Recently Released
Documents." (Randy Seaholm)
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