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Nevada in 1996. the other Upper Basin states vehemently opposed the suggestion citing violation of the Law of the River. However, in 2000, the Upper Basin states did come to agreement with California on the Interim Surplus Guidelines, an integral part of the plan to get California to reduce its overuse of the Colorado River. Another dilemma involves balancing Upper Basin water and power needs with environmental water demands for endan. gared species - the perennial ~water for fish or water for people" debate. Four native fish - the Colorado pikeminnow, razorback sucker. bony tail chub and humpback chub - are listed as endan. gered under the ESA. If more water and instream flows that mimic the natural hydrograph are demanded for biological needs. the power generated by hydro. electric dams along the river may be devalued. Dam rsoparation is occurring at both Glen Canyon Dam along the mainstem and Flaming Gorge Dam on the Green River. In 1984. the Upper Basin began develop- ing a recovery program for the lour endangered fish. The Upper Colorado Endangered Fish Recovery Implementation Program was initiated with a cooperative agreement signed by the secretary of the Interior, the governors of the states of Colorado, Utah and Wyoming and the ad- ministrator of the Western Area Power Administration (a branch of the Department of Energy). Under the agreement, the recovery program will continue for 15 years and is scheduled for completion or exten- sion at the end of 2003. A similar program was ne. gotiated for the San Juan River Basin. The San Juan Basin Recovery Implementation Program is esti- mated for completion in 2007 (see page 23). Both programs intend to allow for water and power development to proceed in compliance with the ESA. Utah's Flaming Gorge /Jam is used primarily for power gel/eration and irrigatiol1purposes. The Upper Basin generates about 9.3 million megawatt hours of electricity every year. Most of the power - 7.3 million megawatt hours - comes from the eight turbines at Glen Canyon Dam. But peak power generation - highly effective in supplying electricity as needed - can adversely affect fish populations. Fish habitats have been negatively impacted because of fluctuating dam releases to meet the hourly demand for power. Conversely, If stream flows are decreased when power is demanded. consumers (and the states) will be subject to higher power prices. 11 After more than a decade of research, criteria have been adopted (under the 1992 Grand Canyon Protection Act) to regulate daily flows through Glen Canyon Dam. located near Page. Arizona The Glen Canyon Dam Environmental Impact Statement concluded that three decades of fluctuating releases (load following) have caused detriment to the environment below the dam in the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area and Grand Canyon National Park. Efforts are under way to mitigate these negative effects by limiting the daily fluctuations in powerplant releases. In summer 2000, an already below-normal water year on the system, the Bureau conducted low-flow releases from Glen Canyon Dam in order to gather information on flow impacts to water temperature, sediment deposition, vegetation and both native and non-native fish species. The tests were the converse of those conducted by the Bureau during the spring of 1996 when an experimental flood (releases of water significantly in excess of powerplant capacity) was created through the Grand Canyon to redistribute sediment deposition along and within the river channel; prevent long-term beach degradation; scour non-native streamside vegetation; restore native fish habitats; protect cultural resources, including archeological sites; and provide beaches for Colorado River raflers (see page 23). The criteria provide for similar in-stream flow experiments as needed and when hydrologic conditions permit. WVOMING The towering mountains of Wyoming have earned it the title of a headwaters state. Almost 2 million acre. feet of water, produced solely within the Colorado River drainage area of the state and primarily by melting snow, pass out of Wyoming's boundaries every year to the Colorado River. In 1890. Wyoming became the first state in the union to assert state ownership of water and establish the doctrine of prior appropriation as the basis for Wyoming water law. Wyoming uses approximately 500.000 acre.feet of Colorado River water annually (it is entitled to approximately 1 million acre-feet - 14 percent - annually), almost all of which is produced within the state. The Wind River Mountain Range. in the south- west corner 01 the state, houses the largest number of glaciers in the Rocky Mountains. Runoff from these glaciers feed the Green River. the longest and largest tributary of the Colorado River.