BOARD00576

• Board Meeting Date: 3/21/2002
• Description: WSP Section - Colorado River Basin Issues - Colorado River Annual Operating Plan and Glen Canyon Dam Adaptive Management Program Experimental Flow
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Memo

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Agenda Item 18e
March 21-22,2002 Board Meeting
Page 2 of3

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years, an indication of the progress to meet those targets should be provided annually. California
agricultural uses are'at 3.85 mafto begin with and peed to be at 3.74 mafbyDecember 31, 2003.
California agricultural uses are projected to be within this range, so they are offto a good start.
However, completion of the required agreements is behind schedule. The desire was to have
agreements in place by December 31, 2001 with a grace period through December 31, 2002.
Thus, suspension or termination of the guidelines i's not an issue this year, but it could be next
year if the agreements are not complete. i

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3. As indicated at the last AOP meeting the date of August 1 st will be used to make determinations
for the coming year, this needs to be stated in the AOP as it is not discussed in the Record of
Decision, Based on current information, 2003 will still provide for a "Full Domestic Surplus."
However, there will be no surplus deliveries to Mexico and no off-stream water banking except
as explicitly allowed under these. conditions. Sinc~ surplus amounts could change if hydrologic
conditions improve, we will ask that the upper limit (70R value) be calculated and included.

4. A section discussing the status of the Arizona\MWD Reparatiop Agreement should be included
as well as discussion of how Reclamatiop would enforce thatagreemept. This should also
ipclude discussiop of the Arizona\Nevada &SNW A agreement.

5. A new section on 602(a) storage determipatiops for Lake Powell needs to be added. A graph
was provided last year that showed that upper basip, storage levels are above the 602(a) storage
levels calculated in the CRSS RiverWare model (starts at around 19.0 mat). This graph should .
. winciuded,rgairran:d-expIained. in.the.:A0P:-0nemfihe1Jieces mhe-severr-'State"proposal-was
that 602(a) storage levels not be below 14.85 maf(elevation 3630) during the period the interim
surplus guidelines are in effect and we would like language to that affect included 'in the AOP as
agreed to by all seven states. Based on average inflows, equalization between Lakes Powell and
Mead would control operations at Lake Powell in 2003. However, the current dry hydrologic
conditions suggest an 8.23 mafrelease is more lik~ly.

6. A section on the need to operate the Yuma Desalt(jr should be included and indicate where the
water is coming from to offset the need to operate the Yuma Desalter. In short, a determination
should be made as to whether or not the interim period for utilizing the savings (132,000 AF)
from the lining of the Coachelle Canal has expired. Ifithas, what other water sources will be
used to offset the need to operate it.

7. A section on Reclamation's environmental commitments and whether or not they are being met
as required should be included. '

8. Glen Canyon Dam Adaptive Management Program (GCDAMP) - The GCDAMP is
developing an experimental flow that they would Xike to test in water year 2003. Three scenarios
are under consideration as described in the attachment, but the TWG is focusing mostly on
altemative 2, All of these operations are outside the preferred alternative described in the record
of decision in two respects, First, the hydrologic triggers are not satisfied and thus a peak release
above power plant capacity (approximately 31,00q cfs) would not be allowed. Secondly, .
hydroelectric load following would be tested for a,period following the January Beach Habitat
Building Flow, again outside the preferred alternative.

Flood Protection. Water Project Planning and Financing. Stream and Lake Protection
Water Supply Protection. Conservation Planning