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<br />4. FLOWS OF COLORADO RIVER <br />Table 3 on pages 22 and 23 shows the estimated virgin flow of the <br />Colorado <br /> <br />River at Lee Ferry, Arizona for each water year from 1896 through <br />1991. Column (4) of the table shows the average virgin flow for any given <br />year within the period computed through water year 1991. eolumn (5) <br />shows the average virgin flow for a given year within the period computed <br />since water year 1896. Column ( 6) shows the average virgin flow for each <br />progressive ten -year period beginning with the ten-year period ending on <br />September 30,1905. The difference between the virgin flow for a given <br />year and the average flow over the 95-year period, 1896 through 1991, <br />is shown in eolumn (7). <br /> <br />Article III(d) of the eolorado River Compact stipulates that "the <br />States of the Upper Division will not cause the flow of the river at Lee Ferry <br />to be depleted below an aggregate of75,000,000 acre-feet for any period <br />of ten consecutive years reckoned in a continuing progressive series <br />beginning with the first day of October next succeeding the ratification of <br />this Compact." Prior to the storage of water in the eolorado River <br />Storage Project reservoirs, which began in 1962, the flow of the river at <br />Lee Ferry in any ten consecutive years was greatly in excess of the <br />75,000,000 acre-feet required by the eompact. Beginning in 1962, <br />eolorado River Storage Project reservoirs have regulated the river above <br />Glen eanyon Dam. Table 4, on page 24, shows the historic flow at Lee <br />Ferry for the period 1953 through 1991. The historic flow for each <br />progressive ten-year period from 1953 through 1991, beginning with the <br />ten-year period ending September 30, 1962, the commencement of <br />storage in eolorado River Storage Project reservoirs, is shown in Column <br />(3). <br /> <br />In each consecutive ten -year period, the total flow equaled or exceeded <br />the 75,000,000 acre-feet required by the eompact. The flow at Lee Ferry <br />during the ten-year period ending September 30, 1991 was 128,075,000 <br />acre-feet. <br /> <br />13 <br />