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1968 Colorado River Basin Project Act <br />43 U.S.C. § 1552(a) In order to comply with and carry out the <br />provisions of the Colorado River Compact, the Upper Colorado <br />River Basin Compact, and the Mexican Water Treaty, the <br />Secretary shall propose criteria for the coordinated long -range <br />operation of the reservoirs constructed and operated under the <br />authority of the Colorado River Storage Project Act, the Boulder <br />Canyon Project Act, and the Boulder Canyon Project Adjustment <br />Act. To effect in part the purposes expressed in this paragraph, <br />the criteria shall make provision for the storage of water in storage <br />units of the Colorado River storage project and releases of water <br />from Lake Powell in the following listed order ofpriority: <br />• (3) storage of water not required for the releases specified in <br />clauses (1) and (2) of this subsection to the extent that the <br />Secretary, after consultation with the Upper Colorado River <br />Commission and representatives of the three Lower Division <br />States and taking into consideration all relevant factors <br />(including, but not limited to, historic stream -flows, the most <br />critical period of record, and probabilities of water supply), shall <br />find this to be reasonably necessary to assure deliveries under <br />clauses (1) and (2) without impairment of annual consumptive <br />uses in the upper basin pursuant to the Colorado River <br />Compact: Provided, That water not so required to be stored shall <br />be released from Lake Powell: (i) to the extent it can be <br />reasonably applied in the States of the Lower Division to the <br />uses specified in article M(e) of the Colorado River Compact, but <br />no such releases shall be made when the active storage in Lake <br />Powell is less than the active storage in Lake Mead, (ii) to <br />maintain, as nearly as practicable, active storage in Lake Mead <br />equal to the active storage in Lake Powell, and (iii) to avoid <br />anticipated spills from Lake Powell. <br />Minute No. 242. Permanent and Definitive <br />Solution to the International Problem of the <br />Salinity of the Colorado River, (Aug. 30, 1973). <br />United States is to adopt measures that assure that <br />water delivered upstream of Morelos Dam have a <br />salinity of no more the 115 p.p.m. plus or minus <br />30 p.p.m. over the average salinity of water at <br />Imperial Dam. <br />• Standard at Imperial is 879 p.p.m. <br />(1) releases to supply one -half the deficiency described in article) <br />M(c) of the Colorado River Compact, if any such deficiency exists <br />and is chargeable to the States of the Upper Division, but in any <br />event such releases, if any, shall not be required in any year that the <br />Secretary makes the determination and issues the proclamation <br />specified in section 1512 of this title; <br />(2) releases to comply with article III(d) of the Colorado .River) <br />Compact, less such quantities of water delivered into the Colorado- <br />River below Lee Ferry to the credit of the States of the Upper Division <br />from other sources; and <br />Criteria for Coordinated Long -Range Operation of <br />Colorado River Reservoirs <br />• Enacted June 8, 1970 pursuant to section 602(a) of the 1968 Act. <br />• Paragraph III provides that the Secretary is to determine the <br />level of "602(a) storage" necessary each year. <br />• II.2 provides that if the level of Upper Basin storage is below the <br />602(a) level or the Lake Powell active storage forecast is below <br />that of Lake Mead, "the objective shall be to maintain a <br />minimum release of water from Take Powell of 8.23 million <br />acre -feet for that year." <br />• II.3 provides for releases from Lake Powell greater than 8.23 <br />million acre -feet per year under the three conditions set out in <br />the last part of section 602(a)(3): (1) reasonable application in the <br />Lower Basin; (2) equalization of Powell and Mead; and (3) <br />avoidance of spills. <br />• Currently no shortage criteria exist. <br />Other issues <br />• 1976 Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Act, <br />Provides for salinity standards and projects within <br />the U.S. <br />1992 Grand Canyon Protection Act. Provides for <br />daily operational parameters to protect Grand <br />Canyon resources; genesis of Adaptive <br />Management Work Group. <br />Interim Sumlus Criteria. Set criteria for "surplus" <br />releases from Lake Mead through 2016. <br />