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Seven Basin States' Preliminary Proposal Regarding Colorado River Interim Operations <br />The Seven Basin States (States) have worked together to recommend interim operations to the <br />Secretary that should minimize shortages in the Lower Basin and avoid the risk of curtailment in <br />the Upper Basin through conservation, more efficient reservoir operations, and long-term <br />alternatives to bring additional water into the Colorado River community. <br />' The States' recommendation has three key elements. First, the States propose to manage the <br />reservoirs to minimize shortages and avoid curtailments. Second, the States have identified <br />actions in the Lower Basin to conserve water. Third, the States recommend a specific proposal <br />' for implementing shortages in the Lower Basin. Finally, the States recognize the need for <br />additional water supplies to meet the current and future needs in the Basin. <br />' Section 1. Allocation of Unused Basic Apportionment Water under Article H(B)(6) <br />' A. Introduction <br />Article II(B)(6) of the 1964 Decree in Arizona v. California (Decree) allows the <br />Secretary to allocate water that is apportioned to one Lower Division State, but is for any <br />' reason unused in that State, to another Lower Division State. This determination is made <br />for one year only and no rights to recurrent use of the water accrue to the State that <br />receives the allocated water. <br />' B. Application of Unused Basic Apportionment <br />' Before making a determination of a surplus condition under this proposal, the Secretary <br />will determine the quantity of apportioned but unused water under Article II (13)(6), and <br />will allocate such water in the following order of priority. <br />I. Meet the direct delivery domestic use requirements of the Metropolitan <br />Water District of Southern California, (MWD) and the Southern Nevada <br />Water Authority (SNWA), as allocated between them by agreement. <br />2. Meet the needs of off stream banking activities by MWD in California and <br />' SNWA in Nevada, as allocated between them by agreement. <br />3. Meet the other needs for water in California in accordance with the <br />' California Seven-Party Agreement as supplemented by the Quantification <br />Settlement Agreement. <br />' Section 2. Coordinated Operation of Lakes Powell and Mead <br />' Figure 1 describes the operating strategy that has been agreed to by the Colorado River Basin <br />States.