Chapter 1: Summary of "The Law of the River"

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j CHAPTER I 25 On June 8, 1970, after evaluation of the comments of the Upper and Lower Basin States, Secretary Hickel adopted the Operating Criteria. letter these o of June comments. 1970' from the Commissioner of Reclamation explained the rationale of the decisions on The Secretary concluded that the Filling Criteria woul bColorado River that Ba n Fund willbe reimbuursed Hoover Dam deficiencies would be purchased, that the Upper pursuant to Section 502 of the Basin Project Act for monies used therefrom to purchase energy, except that apacity the costs incurred in connection with impairment incident to the attainmen and mini mum resu power o d pool in Lake Powell Lake Mead below elevation 1123 would not be repaid. roved June 8, 1970, The criteria for coordinated long -range operation of Colorado River reservoirs, app include the following provisions: time to time and will sponsor a formal review at ]east every years The Secretary may modify them from with the States participation. The Secretary shall transmit to Congress and the Basin States Governors an annual report, starting January 1, 1972, and each January 1 thereafter, describing actual operations for the preceding compact water year and the projected plan of operation for the current year (Article 1(1)). The plan of operation shall in clude f September 30 of �thatyear s red f by Section 1 602( ) Public Law necessary to be in storage as o p 90 -537 ( "602(a) Storage "). The factors to be considered in arriving at that determination are liste ; e.g., historic streamflow, the most critical periods of record, and probabilities of water supply, estimated storage depletions in the Upper Basin, including the effects of recurrence of critical periods of water supply, the report of the committee on probabilities and test studies date f e t October , store sufficient necessity erto assure delivery Upper Basin consumptive uses not be impaired because ender Section 602(A) (1) and (2). Public Law 90 -537 (Article 11 (1)) If, in the plan of operation, either (a) the Upper Basin storage reservoirs active storage forecast for September 30 of the current year is less than the quantity of Section 602(a) storage determined for that date, or ctive (b) the Lake Powell g ive shallrbe to nta n minimum release fro Lake Powell of 8 23 for that for that date; the objective year (Article II(2)) . oirs active storage But if the Upper Basin storage reservrage forecast for September 30 of the current water year is greater than the quantity of 602(a) storage, water shall be released annually from Lake Powell at a rate greater than 8.23 maf to accomplish the following objectives: (a) To the extent it can be reasonably applied in the Lower Division States, but no such release shall be made when the active storage in Lake Powell is less than the active storage in Lake Mead; (b) To maintain, as nearly as practicable, active storage in Lake Mead equal to the active storage in Lake Powell; and (c) To avoid anticipated spills from Lake Powell ( Article [I(3)) . In the application of Article II(3) the objective will be to pass the releases through Glen Canyon Powerplant as soon as practicable, utilizing the available capability of the powerplant, in order to equalize the active storage in Lake Powell and Lake Mead (Article II(4)). Releases from Lake Powell pursuant to the criteria shall not prejudice either Basin's interests with respect to required deliveries at Lee Ferry pursuant to the Compact (Article II(5)). eaty obligations, reasonable consumptive use req Lake Mead is to be operated to meet Mexican Tr - ments of mainstream users in the Lower Basin, net river and net reservoir losses, and regulatory waste (Arti cle Until Central Arizona Project water deliveries are made, Lower Basin reasonable consumptive use re nts will be met (Article III(2)) . Thereafter, the consumptive use requirements will be met in light of the quireme following situations: normal (7.5 nual consulmp(tive useregturemrents) (Article III(5)). The cr specified the ficient water to satisfy 7.5 maf an - - -- -- - - - - - -- relevant factors to _ consider in connection with�`surplus" and "shortages Definitions are contained in Article IV. �^ A 1' air