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<br />Let me address each of these in the order presented. <br /> <br />Reservoir Operations and Administration of Water Deliveries <br /> <br />The Colorado River Compact of 1922, the Upper Colorado River <br />Basin Compact of 1948, the 1964 Decree of the United States Supreme <br />Court case in Arizona v. California. and the 1944 Mexican Water Treaty <br />between the Republic of Mexico and the United States are the four <br />legal instruments which established the basic apportionments of water <br />between the United States and Mexico and, in turn, between the seven <br />states of the Colorado River Basin. Upon this foundation there has <br />been erected a superstructure of major Federal reservoirs and the <br />Federal statutes governing their operation which, along with the <br />United States Supreme Court decision in Arizona v. California. place <br />the Federal government squarely in the middle of all Colorado River <br />matters. <br />The Secretary of the Interior must prepare an Annual Operating <br />Plan for the Colorado River mainstream reservoirs. The plan is <br />required by Section 602(b) of the 1968 Colorado River Basin Project <br />Act. At the heart of the Annual Operating Plan are five <br />determinations which the Secretary must make with respect to reservoir <br />operations and delivery of water. <br />The first determination, which is required by 602(a) of the 1968 <br />Act, concerns the amount of water which is to be released from Lake <br />Powell through Glen Canyon Dam. The purpose of these releases is to <br />comply with the pertinent provisions of Article III of the Colorado <br />River Compact. The Compact deliveries from the Upper Division states <br />to the Lower Division states are measured at Lee Ferry, Arizona, which <br />is just a few miles downstream from Glen Canyon Dam. <br />Secondly, Section 602(a) of the 1968 Act requires the storage of <br />water in Lake Powell to the extent that the Secretary shall find this <br />to be reasonably necessary to assure deliveries under the Colorado <br />River Compact, without impairment of annual consumptive uses in the <br />Upper Division states pursuant to the Compact. This so-called Section <br />602(a) storage determination is central to deciding how much water can <br />be stored versus released, and whether water is maintained in Lake <br />Powell or moved down to Lake Mead. <br />Third, pursuant to Article II(B) of the United States Supreme <br />Court decree in Arizona v. California. the Secretary must determine <br />how much water is available each year for annual consumptive use in <br />the three Lower Division states, with the water supply of 7.5 million <br />acre-feet being characterized as normal. If more or less than this <br />amount is available, then the Secretary must make a surplus, or <br />shortage declaration. The 7.5 million acre-feet is the amount of <br />water apportioned by the Supreme Court from the mainstream of the <br />Colorado River to the three Lower Division states with 2.8 million. <br />acre-feet being apportioned to Arizona, 4.4 million acre-feet being <br />apportioned to California and, as the prior speakers indicated, <br />300,000 acre-feet being apportioned for consumption in Nevada. <br />The fourth determination, which the Secretary must make, is <br />required by Article II(B) (6) of the 1964 United States Supreme Court <br />decree. This Article states that: <br /> <br />30 <br />