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. . . STATE OF COLOMDO . Colorado Water Conservation Board Department of Natural Resources 1313 Sherman Street Denver, Colorado 80203 Phone: IJOJ1866-J441 FAX: (JOJ) 866-4474 MEMORANDUM TO: Colorado Water Conservation Board Members FROM: Randy Seaholm ~ Chief, Interstate Streams Investigations DATE: July 19, 1999 SUBJECT: Agenda Item 13j, July 26-27, 1999 Board Meeting- Colorado River Issues, Surplus\Shortage Criteria & 602(a) Storage Levels Backe:round The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation published a "Notice ofIntent" to develop interim surplus\shortage criteria in the Federal Register on May 18, 1999. Implementation of these interim criteria is one of the components needed to provide the additional flexibility in the 1970 Coordinated Long-Range Operating Criteria for Colorado River Reservoirs California requested while it reduces its uses to the 4.4 maf allowed under the "Law of the River." The "Notice ofIntent" indicated that development of the criteria would follow the NEP A compliance guidelines, inviting comments on NEP A compliance, format, scope, method of implementation, issues of concern to be addressed, and altematives for the surplus\shortage criteria. Reclarnation wanted to keep the process narrowly focused. Reclarnation did not want to make development of these interim criteria and guidelines part of the AOP process because they will need to be in effect for IS-years. Conversely, they did not want to develop them as part of the 5-year review of the 1970 Coordinated Long-Range Operating Criteria for Colorado River Reservoirs because the guidelines and criteria are only interim. The criteria were to focus primarily on surplus criteria and the impacts of those criteria on potential shortages. . Discussion The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (Reclarnation) held four public meetings: Phoenix, Arizona, Ontario, California, Las Vegas, Nevada and Salt Lake City, Utah. Attendance at the meetings was small. Reclarnation has also received written comments from 29 organizations and citizens. While a number of concems were expressed, there was general support for Reclamation to develop further surplus\shortage criteria under certain conditions. Responses varied on the format for developing the criteria and ranged Bill Owens Governor Greg E. Walcher Executive Director, DNR Peter H. Evans Director, CVVCB