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<br />I <br /> <br />We have a number of serious objections to <br />the criteria as proposed. Under date of March <br />4th I submitted to the Board a memorandum which <br />set forth the operating criteria and the changes <br />which we have proposed. We suggested some amend- <br />ments to the position of the Upper Colorado River <br />Commission. In general, those were adopted by <br />the Commission at its meeting last Friday. The <br />revised position of the Commission is included <br />along with other items in your folders. <br /> <br />I think at this point it would be appropriate <br />for the Board, if it so desires, to endorse this <br />position. Rather than going through all of the <br />criteria I will simply go through that portion <br />of the criteria which was modified.after it was <br />sent to the members of the Board. On page 14 <br />of the 'Comments and Recommendations of Colo- <br />rado, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming' at the <br />lower half of the page, Article II(2) of the <br />proposed criteria. The original criteria <br />specified that it was a purpose of the criteria <br />to provide storage in Lake Powell to protect <br />the Upper Basin against future deliveries at <br />Lee Ferry. The other condition was as specified <br />in the congressional act. If Lake Powell is <br />below the capacity of Lake Mead the act specifies <br />that it must be increased so that it contains <br />as much water as Lake Mead and vice versa. <br /> <br />I <br /> <br />The criteria as proposed by the Secretary <br />states that if either of these conditions <br />exist and more water is needed to protect the <br />upper Basin from deliveries at Lee Ferry, or <br />Lake Powell is below the level of Lake Mead, <br />then the deliveries at Lee Ferry will be re- <br />duced to a minimum of 8.23 million acre-feet. <br />In other words, the filling criteria proposed <br />by the Secretary clearly contemplate that at no <br />time would the delivery at Lee Ferry ever be <br />less than 8.23 million acre-feet. When added <br />to the flow of the Paria River which is a part <br />of the Lee Ferry flow but measured separately, <br />this totals 8.25 million acre-feet. <br />