BOARD00226

• Board Meeting Date: 4/1/1970
• Description: Agenda or Table of Contents, Minutes, Memos
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Meeting

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MR. GEISSINGER:

MR. SPARKS:

MR. STAPLETON:

MR. SPARKS:

to this matter over a considerable period of
time?"

"Mr. Chairman, I would like to ask one
question. DO we have any idea what the posi-
tion of the Lower Basin states is in regard to
this criteria? Have they let anything out yet?"

"Yes. We have been engaged in negotiations
now for almost a year concerning the proposed
criteria. Under the auspices of the Department
of Interior a series of meetings were held at
which representatives of all the Basin states
were present. The tactics of the Lower Basin
states became obvious at the outset. Originally
the proposed criteria contained a provision
that storage in Lake Powell would be based upon
the use of a rule curve which computed out at
a 98.4 percent probability that the necessary
storage to protect the Upper Basin could be
obtained in Lake Powell. That rule curve sounds
quite complex but it is really quite simple.
The rule curve is based upon anticipated flow
of the Colorado River throughout future years
and anticipated demands on the river. You
simply prepare a graph based upon those factors
and where the lines intersect you come up with
a probability.

That's about the maximum probability that
could be arrived at, the 98.4, although with a
little refinement we come up with 98.4 plus."

"I hope you understand what he is talking
about I "

"We tried to get sufficient storage in Lake
Powell to meet our commitment at Lee Ferry
and still have water left for use in the Upper
Basin.

The probability, with the past flow of the
stream, of our getting 7.5 million acre-feet
for use in the Upper Basin is virtually zero.
The same holds true for the Lower Basin.