Annual Operating Plan For Colorado River Reservoirs 2004

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I January 7, 2004 ' Lower Division States as provided in the 1964 U.S. Supreme Court Decree in Arizona v. California (Decree), and the Interim Surplus Guidelines. ' . Consistent with the above determinations and in accordance with other applicable provisions of the "Law of the River," the AOP was developed with "appropriate consideration of the uses of the reservoirs for all purposes, including flood control, river regulation, beneficial consumptive uses, power production, water quality control, recreation, enhancement of fish and wildlife, and other environmental factors" (Operating Criteria, Article I (2)). Since the hydrologic conditions of the Colorado River Basin can never be completely known in advance, the AOP addresses the operations resulting from three different hydrologic scenarios: the probable maximum, most probable, and probable minimum reservoir inflow conditions. River ' operations under the plan are modified during the year as runoff predictions are adjusted to reflect existing snowpack, basin storage, and flow conditions. ' Summary Upper Basin Delivery. The minimum objective release criterion will control the annual release from Glen Canyon Dam during water year 2004 in accordance with Article II(2) of the Operating Criteria unless spill avoidance and/or the storage equalization criteria in Article H(3) is controlling. ' Lower Basin Delivery. Under the most probable inflow scenario, downstream deliveries are expected to control the releases from Hoover Dam. ' The suspension of surplus determinations under Section 2(B)(1) and 2(B)(2) of the Interim Surplus Guidelines remained in effect until October 10, 2003, at which time California completed all required actions pursuant to Section 5(B) of the Interim Surplus Guidelines. Consistent with Section 5(B) of the Interim Surplus Guidelines, the interim surplus determinations under Sections 203)(1) and 2(B)(2) were reinstated on October 10, 2003. The October 10, 2003, Colorado River Water ' Delivery Agreement provides for California to make the reductions in water use reflected in Section 5(C) of the Interim Surplus Guidelines. ' Taking into account (1) the existing water storage conditions in the basin, (2) the most probable near -term water supply conditions in the basin, and (3) Sections 2(B)(1) and 7 of the Interim Surplus Guidelines, the Partial Domestic Surplus condition is the criterion governing the operation of Lake Mead for calendar year 2004 in accordance with Article HI(3)(b) of the Operating Criteria and Article H(B)(2) of the Decree, subject to Section 5(C) of the Interim Surplus Guidelines. Reclamation does not anticipate any available unused apportionment for calendar year 2004 at this time. However, if any unused apportionment is available, the Secretary shall allocate any available ' unused apportionments for calendar year 2004 in accordance with Article II(B)(6) of the Decree and Section 1(B) of the Interim Surplus Guidelines. 1