BOARD01184

• Board Meeting Date: 11/20/2000
• Description: WSP Section - Colorado River Basin Issues - Colorado River Reservoirs Annual Operating Plan for 2001
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Memo

STATE OF COLORADO

aolorado Water Conservation Board
~epartment ofNatur2.' Resources
1313 Sherman Screet, Room 721
Denver, Colorado 80203
Phone: [phone]
FAX: [phone]
www.cwcb.state.co.ll5

a

MEMORA!\lJ)UM

Bill Owens
Governor

Greg E. Walcher
Executive Director

TO:

Colorado Water Conservation Board Members

Dan McAuliffe
Acting Director

FROM:

R"ndy Seaholm ~
Chief, Interstate Streams Investigations

DATE:

November 13, 2000

SUBJECT:

Agenda Item 23e, November 20-21, 2000 Board Meeting-
Colorado River Basin Issues -
Colorado Ri ver Reservoirs Annual Operating Plan for 2001

Background

.he Colorado River Management Work Group has been meeting to develop the Year 2001 Annual Operating
Plan for Colorado River Reservoirs (AOP). The process for developing the AOP is to first develop operating
plans for Flaming Gorge\Fontenelle, Aspinal;\Taylor ?ark, ""d :--:J" ajc ::^.-:';;::~ :::.:')'. ""'''0:: .:;: :rc:')~s are
then combined with the latest runoff forecast and the latest estimates of lower basin water use. Through an
iterati ve process a preferred operating plan is then developed. Then using a R 70 strategy (70% exceedance
probability runoff or 18.770 million acre-feet) they check to see if flood control releases from Lake Mead are
triggered. If so, the flood control release amount becomes the "R 70 surplus" amount.

At the July meeting, the Board concurred with staff and the Colorado River Policy Advisory Council and took
the position that absent the adoption of interim surplus criteria, Colorado should oppose any surplus declaration
by the Secretary of Interior in 2001 that does not meet the criteria described above. Staff has maintained this
position in subsequent discussions. However, Reclamation is under heavy pressure from Lower Basin water
users to complete the AOP by January I as required by the Coordinated Long-Range Operating Criteria.

On November 6th, Reclamation held a meeting in Las Vegas to gather additional information on how to proceed
with developing the year 200lAOP. In short, environmental interests did not want any surplus declared because
they want any surplus water to go to the Colorado River delta in Mexico. The Lower Basin water users would
like a surplus for "domestic" purposes only (no surplus to Mexico and no goundwater banking) in the amount of
630,000 AF. Furthermore, the water users want that declaration as soon as possible so that they can schedule
their water orders properly. The surplus declcsation would supplement current conservation measures to keep
MWD's aqueduct at 1,250,000 AF (near full).

.

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