LEG00098

• Bill Number: HJR05-1042
• Year: 2005
• Title: Concerning protection of the interests of the upper basin states under the terms of the colorado river compact
• Legislation - Doc Type: Other CWCB Related Bills - Passed

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WHEREAS, Colorado and other Upper Basin states are in the continued
grip of an on-going, historic drought, during which Colorado communities
have imposed extreme water use restrictions and undertaken extraordinary
water conservation efforts; and

WHEREAS, Colorado's agricultural community, which represents 80%
of the water ownership in the State, continues to struggle with the effects
of this on-going drought with significant impacts of upwards of$I.5 billion
to Colorado's economy; and

WHEREAS, On March 16,2005, the Upper Basin's main water savings
account, Lake Powell, had 8.1 million acre-feet of live storage (33% of
capacity), while the Lower Basin's primary operating reservoir, Lake Mead,
reported 15.8 million acre-feet oflive storage (62% of capacity); and

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WHEREAS, Conditions in the Lower Basin states of Arizona,
California, and Nevada have improved significantly with record and near
record precipitation, with tributary inflow to the Colorado River mainstem
in the Lower Basin between October I, 2004, and February 28, 2005,
totaling more than 1.5 million acre-feet, leaving most Lower Basin
reservoirs full or nearly full; and

WHEREAS, There is a great discrepancy between precipitation in the
Lower Basin, which is far wetter than normal this water year, and
precipitation in the Upper Basin, which is below average in many basins
this water year; and

WHEREAS, The United States Secretary of the Interior, through the
Bureau of Reclamation, is charged with the obligation to determine the
amount of the minimum objective release annually from the Upper Basin

PAGE 2-HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION 05-1042

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