BOARD00817

• Board Meeting Date: 7/26/1999
• Description: WSP Section - Colorado River Basin Issues - Surplus/Storage Criteria and 602‎(a)‎ Storage Levels
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Memo

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Colorado Water Conservation Board

Department of Natural Resources

, 31 3 Sherman Street
Denver, Colorado 80203
Phone: [phone]
fAX: [phone],4474

STATE OF COLORADO

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BiUOwens
Go~rnor

June 29, 1999

Greg E. Walcher
Executive Director, DNR

Peter H. Evans
Director, ewes

Mr. Robert Johnson
Regional Director
US Bureau of Reclarnation
Lower Colorado Region
P.O. Box 61470
Boulder City, Nevada 89006-1470

Attention: Jayne Harkins

Reference: Development of Surplus Criteria for Management of the Colorado River
and to Initiate the NEP A Process for the Criteria.

Dear Mr. Johnson

Thank you for the opportunity to provide comments on this important Colorado
River matter. The Colorado Water Conservation Board was established in 1937 to
promote the protection, conservation, and development of Colorado's water resources in
order to secure the greatest utilization of those resources for the benefit of present and
future inhabitants of the state and to minimize the risk of flood darnage and related
economic loss. One of the major objectives within this mission is the protection of
Colorado's interstate compact allocations, including those on the Colorado River.

The Bureau of Reclamation's May 13, 1999 Notice ofIntent concerning the
development of surplus criteria for managernent of the Colorado River indicates that
Reclamation may irnplement surplus criteria by either revising the 1970 Long-Range
Operating Criteria or by developing interim implementing criteria pursuant to Article III
(3) of the 1970 Long-Range Operating Criteria.

The 1970 Long-Range Operating Criteria includes a provision for storage
equalization between Lakes Powell and Mead and can significantly affect the water
supply available to the Upper Basin States. Due to that storage equalization provision, a
drawdown of Lake Mead for surplus uses by Lower Basin States can result in a
proportional loss of storage in Lake Powell. If development of any new criteria for
declaration of surplus conditions is appropriate at this time, only interim criteria should