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n r i <br /> • 4 <br /> possibly be fully depreciated by the year 2005. Therefore, in order that: (1) <br /> UII can use the water in an energy project; (2) the United States can realize <br /> significant repayment toward the investment costs of the Colorado River Storage <br /> Project; and (3) Other competing users can more fully utilize the remaining <br /> interim supplies in Navajo Reservoir, the State of New Mexico has requested the <br /> availability of the Navajo Reservoir water supply be certified past the year <br /> 2005. <br /> III. Hydrologic Investigation <br /> The Department of Interior' s present position on water availability in the Upper <br /> Basin is that for planning purposes, it will be assumed that up to 5.8 MAF of <br /> water can be safely depleted annually in the Upper Basin. This number was <br /> • derived from three assumptions: (1) the lowest 34-year period of natural <br /> runoff; (2) tolerable shortages to irrigated agriculture; and (3) delivery of <br /> half the Mexican Treaty commitment from the Upper Basin. <br /> As to water use in the Upper Basin, subsection (b) of Article III of the Upper <br /> Colorado River Basin Compact permits New Mexico or any other Upper Basin State <br /> to use waters in excess of its percentage allotment, provided such excess use <br /> does not prohibit any of the remaining States from utilizing its respective <br /> allotment. Thus the availability of Navajo Reservoir water for municipal and <br /> industrial purposes in New Mexico extended beyond the year 2005 depends upon the <br /> extent of water use in the entire Upper Basin beyond 2005 as well as upon the <br /> physical availability of water in Navajo Reservoir. <br /> To avoid a critical compact interpretation, we assume that the Upper Basin will <br /> 410 be obligated to deliver 75 MAF of water every 10 years at Lee Ferry, plus <br />