Laserfiche WebLink
STATE OF COLORADO <br />Colorado Water Conservation Board <br />Department of Natural Resources <br />1313 Sherman Street, Room 721 <br />Denver, Colorado 80203 <br />Phone: (303) 866 -3441 <br />FAX: (303) 866 -4474 <br />www.cwcb.state.co.us <br />MEMORANDUM <br />• <br />TO: Colorado Water Conservation Board Members <br />FROM: Rod Kuharich <br />Randy Seaholm O <br />Ted Kowalski <br />DATE: January 11, 2007 <br />SUBJECT: Agenda Item 17, January 23-24,2007 Board Meeting: <br />Water Supply Protection - Colorado River 7 -State Agreement <br />Approval <br />Bill Ritter, Jr. <br />Governor <br />Harris D. Sherman <br />Executive Director <br />Rod Kuharich <br />CWCB Director <br />Dan McAuliffe <br />Deputy Director <br />1. Background <br />As a result of the recent drought conditions, Lake Powell, which serves as the <br />Upper Basin's primary storage vessel for meeting deliveries to the Lower Basin, reached <br />a storage content in 2004 not seen since the reservoir began to fill. Lake Powell was <br />about one -third full and had only about 4.0 million acre -feet (maf) left in active storage. <br />The Upper Basin States became concerned that if the drought continued for another 2- <br />years at the current severity, Powell would reach inactive storage and hydropower <br />generation and the benefits associated therewith lost. Moreover, the Lower Basin was <br />receiving near record precipitation and Lake Mead was about 60% full. <br />Because of this situation, in October 2004, the Upper Basin States asked the <br />Secretary of Interior for a mid year review of the 2005 Annual Operating Plan for <br />Colorado River Reservoirs. Over the objections of the Lower Basin, the Secretary <br />conducted that mid -year review and stated that while she could legally reduce the <br />releases from Lake Powell, elected not change the volume of water released from Lake <br />Powell. <br />The Secretary did however initiate a process on May 2, 2005 for the development <br />of Lower Basin Shortage Criteria along with a review of the 1970 Coordinated Long - <br />Range Operating Criteria for Colorado River Reservoirs to evaluate the potential for <br />changes in the operations of Lakes Powell and Mead under low reservoir conditions. On <br />