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4. Flows of Colorado River <br />Table 3 on pages 22 and 23 shows the estimated virgin flow of the <br />Colorado River at Lee Ferry, Arizona for each water year from 1896 through 1998. <br />Column (4) of the table shows the average virgin flow for any given year within the <br />period computed through water year 1998. Column (5) shows the average virgin <br />flaw for a given year within the period computed since water year 1896. Column (6) <br />shows the average virgin flow for each progressive ten-year period beginning with <br />the ten-year period ending on September 30, 1905. The difference between the <br />virgin flow fior a given year and the average flow over the 100-year period, 1896 <br />through 1998, is shown in Column (7). <br />Article III(d) of the Colorado River Compact stipulates that "the States of the <br />Upper Division will not cause the filow of the river at Lee Ferry to be depleted below <br />an aggregate of 75,000,000 acre-feet for any period of ten consecutive years <br />reckoned in a continuing progressive series beginning with the first day of October <br />next succeeding the ratification of this Compact." Prior to the storage of water in <br />the Colorado River Storage Project reservoirs, which began in 1962, the flow of the <br />river at Lee Ferry in any ten consecutive years was greatly in excess of the <br />75,000,000 acre-feet required by the Compact. Beginning in 1962, Colorado River <br />Storage Project reservoirs have regulated the river above Glen Canyon Dam. Table <br />4, on page 24, shows the historic flow at Lee Ferry for the period 1953 through <br />1998. The historic flow for each progressive ten-year period from 1953 through <br />1998, beginning with the ten-year period ending September 30, 1962, the <br />commencement of storage in Colorado River Storage Project reservoirs, is shown in <br />Column (3). <br />In each consecutive ten-year period, the total flow equaled or exceeded the <br />75,000,000 acre-feet required by the Compact. The flow at Lee Ferry during the <br />ten-year period ending September 30, 1998 was 96,791,000 acre-feet. <br />21 <br />