Laserfiche WebLink
<br />r <br /> <br />4. Flows of Colorado River <br /> <br />Table 3 on pages 22 and 23 shows the estimated virgin flow of the Colorado <br />River at Lee Ferry, Arizona for each water year from 1896 through 2002. Column (4) <br />of the table shows the average virgin flow for any given year within the period <br />computed through water year 2002. Column (5) shows the average virgin flow for a <br />given year within the period computed since water year 1896. Column (6) shows the <br />average virgin flow for each progressive ten-year period beginning with the ten-year <br />period ending on September 30/ 1905. The difference between the virgin flow for a <br />given year and the average flow over the 1 05-year period, 1896 through 2002, is shown <br />in Column (7). <br /> <br />Article III (d) of the Colorado River Compact stipulates that "the States of the <br />Upper Division will not cause the flow of the river at Lee Ferry to be depleted below an <br />aggregate of 75,000,000 acre-feet for any period of ten consecutive years reckoned in <br />a continuing progressive series beginning with the first day of October next succeeding <br />the ratification of this Compact." Prior to the storage of water in the Colorado River <br />Storage Project reservoirs, which began in 1962, the flow of the river at Lee Ferry in any <br />ten consecutive years was greatly in excess of the 75,000,000 acre-feet required by the <br />Compact. Beginning in 1962, Colorado River Storage Project reservoirs have regulated <br />the river above Glen Canyon Dam. Table 4, on page 24, shows the historic flow at Lee <br />Ferry for the period 1953 through 2002. The historic flow for each progressive ten-year <br />period from 1953 through 2002/ beginning with the ten-year period ending September <br />30, 1962, the commencement of storage in Colorado River Storage Project reservoirs, <br />is shown in Column (3). <br /> <br />In each consecutive ten-year period, the total flow equaled or exceeded the <br />75,000,000 acre-feet required by the Compact. <br /> <br />21 <br />