BOARD00281

• Board Meeting Date: 9/21/1998
• Description: Colorado River Basin Issues - Upper Colorado River Commissioner's Report - Increasing Colorado's Stored Water
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Memo

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Colorado Water Conservation Board

Department of Natural Resources
721 Centennial Building
, 313 Shennan Street
Denver, Colorado 80203
Phon., [phone]
FAX, [phone]

STATE OF COLORADO

8

MEMORANDUM

Roy Romer
Governor
James S. Lochhead
Executive Director, DNR
Daries C. We, P.E.
Director, ewes
Peter H. Evans
Acting Director, eweB

To:

Colorado Water Conservation Bom-d Members

From:

Randy Seaholm"a+lJ- It ~':- - ,
Gene Jencsok~ rrf~ It-

September 8, 1998

Date:

Subject:

Agenda Item 20 e., September 21-22, 1998 Board Meeting

Annual Operating Plan, Colorado River System Reservoirs

The final consultation meeting for the 1999 Annual Operating Plan, Colorado River System
Reservoirs, was held on August 4, 1998 in Las Vegas. In attendance were representatives of the
Seven Basin States, CREDA, Lower Basin Water and Power Users and other interested parties.

The meeting was very short. The Bureau provided a Final Draft AOP as well as some proposed
changes to the Final Draft AOP. The proposed changes were not substantive.

The Final Draft AOP reflects that the surplus condition is the criterion governing the operation of
Lake Mead during 1999. This allows the Lower Basin to schedule deliveries in excess of7.5
mafand allows Mexico to schedule 1.7 maf during C.Y. 1999. The basis for the surplus
condition is:
(1) the relatively high water storage conditions existing in the basin. (2) an average
most probable nem- term water supply condition in the basin, and (3) the beneficial
consumptive use requirements of Colorado River mainstream users in the Lower Division
States m-e expected to be more than 7.5 maf.

The most probable water supply conditions forecast mandatory space buildinglflood control
releases from Hoover Dam during January and February 1999, Under the proposed Annual
Operating Plan, the Lower Basin Consumptive Uses will be approximately 8.2 maf distributed as
follows: Arizona 2.8 maf, California 5.1 maf, and Nevada .26 maf. Mexico will be able to
schedule 1.7maf.

None of the attendants had any objections to the proposed AOP and the surplus declm-ation. The
Bureau expects to get the Final AOP to the Secretary by October I, 1998 and approval by the
Secretary is expected at the end of October.