BOARD00845

• Board Meeting Date: 9/10/2002
• Description: CWCB Director's Report
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Memo

Ifthc cxpcrimentalllow is carricd out, a relcase in cxcess ofpowcr plant capacity will occur in January.
2003 assuming sufficicnt sedimcnt input from thc LCR and Paria occurred during the monsoon season.
Dcpcnding on Lakc Powcll clcvation and assuming full power plant capacity (31,000 cfs), a peak flow
of around 41,000 cis will occur for up to 48 hours. Thc 1996 BHBF pcak was 45,000 cfs. Ifthere are
not sufficicnt sediment inputs this year, the tcst will bc implemcnted in the first futurc ycar that tributary
sedimcnt inputs arc sufficient. Reclamation and GCMRC are continuing with the environmental
compliance required to implement the test and to address the issues raised by Robert Lynch in his June 4
Ictler.

Finally, thc ad hoc chaircd by Randy Scaholm to identify which information needs should bc includcd in
the stratcgic plan for the program and which arc outside the scopc of the program continucs its task. It is
anticipated that this work will be done on a parallel track with thc prioritization of information needs
that arc within thc GCAMP.

Monito,'ing of California's Progress in Reducing It's Uses to 4.4 MAF: Attached arc graphs that
allow us to track thc progrcss of California's cfforts to reduce its usc of Colorado River water. The
graphs show thc reductions cxpcctcd in California agricultural watcr use as outlincd in thc Interim
Operating Criteria.

August 1 Forecast of 2002 Year-End Colorado River
Water Use by the California Agricultural Agencies

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3.850 MAF
- 2003 Target = 3,74 MAF
. . . . . .2006 Target = 3.64 MAF
- . - . 2009 Target = 3.53 MAF
- - - 2012 Target = 3.47 MAF
____ Year-End Forecast
-+- Use This Year

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First of Month

More on 4.4 Agreement: Last year, the othcr Colorado River Basin states agreed to support the
"Interim Surplus Guidelines," adopted by the Secrctary ofthc Interior, and allow California to gradually
rcducc its takc from the river to its basic 4.4 million acre-foot apportionmcnt by 2016, However,
according to the Guidelines, a so-called Quantification Settlement Agreement (QSA) among California's
water uscrs must be complcted by thc end of 2002. 1f California misscs the December 31 deadline, the
Interior Dcpartmcnt could immediately limit the state's take to its basic apportionment, causing serious .
shortages in urbanized Southcrn California, The Mctropolitan Water District of Southern California
could lose about half of the Colorado River water it has historically uscd.

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