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<br /> <br />. Pombo, Steve Wynn and Grady Gammage. CWCB Director Rod Kuharich, Randy Seaholm and Ted <br />Kowalski are scheduled to attend, as an UCRC Commission meeting will also be held during this <br />timeframe. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />Upper Colorado River Commission Meeting: The UCRC will hold its second annual meeting on Dec. <br />14 in Las Vegas, prior to the start of the Colorado River Water Users' Annual Meeting. <br /> <br />Colorado River SymposIum - Bishop's Lodge Ne1t' MeDco: The symposium was on Sept. 28-30. <br />Scott Balcomb and Rod Kuharich attended on behalf of Colorado. Representatives for the 7-Basin States <br />held their semi-annual meeting to discuss the status of Colorado River issues. <br /> <br />Colorado River 7-State Meeting: The 7-Basin States have met twice, in Albuquerque, New Mexico on <br />Sept. 28 and in Denver on Oct. 28 to continue discussions on the coordinated operations of Lake Mead <br />and Lake Powell during low flow periods, development of shortage criteria for the Lower Basin, the <br />needs of Nevada for additional water supplies and potential means to augment Colorado River water <br />supplies. <br /> <br />Colorado River Annual Operating Plan (or 2006: The final consultation meeting concerning projected <br />operations for Colorado River Reservoirs during 2006 was held on Sept. 19 in Las Vegas. Based up on <br />current and projected hydrologic conditions and storage in Lake Mead, the Interim Surplus Guidelines <br />would provide for the declaration of a "Partial Domestic Surplus" for the Lower Basin and would result in <br />releases from Lake Mead of approximately 300,000 acre-feetmore thannorma1 However, in light of <br />relatiVelY (ow reservoir levels basinwide, it has been reported the Lower Basin states have agreed that <br />they would not take any of those surpluses. Releases from Lake Powell would be 8.23 million acre-feet, <br />which is the minimum objective release. Deliveries to Mexico would be 1.5 million acre-feet. <br />Furthermore, the Secretary of Interior has indicated that a mid-year review of the AOP will occur if <br />certain low reservoir levels conditions were projected to occur. The Lower Basin has strongly objected to <br />such a mid-year review based on hydrologic conditions and their inlelpretation that releases from Lake <br />Powell can only be reduced to less than 8.23 million acre-feet through modifications to the Coordinated <br />Long-Range Operating Criteria for Colorado River Reservoirs. The Upper Basin States sent a letter <br />indicating strong support of the Secretary's proposal to include the mid-year review language. The Upper <br />Basin States continue to maintain the Secretary has authority to modifY the annual plan of operations and <br />in factdoes so on a monthly basis through the 24-month study process. We have attached the letters from <br />both basins. <br /> <br />Development o(Lower Basin Shortage Guidelines and Coordinated Management Strategies (or <br />Lakes PoweD and Mead Under Low Reservoir Conditions - Initiation o( NEP A Scoping Process: <br />On Sept. 30 the Department of Interior issued a Fedentl Register Notice indicating its intent to prepare an <br />environmental impact statement on the above matters. Recall that Secretary Norton initiated an infonnal <br />scoping process on these matters back on June 15111 of this year and received a 149 substantially different <br />comments, which are posted on Reclamations website. The recently initiated formal NEP A scoping <br />process will run through November 30, 2005. Sceping meetings were held during the I" week of <br />November in Salt Lake City, Denver, Phoenix and Henderson. Approximately 20 member of the public <br />attended the Denver meeting with only the Colorado River Energy Distributors Association and <br />Environment Defense Fund providing public comment. The National Park Service, Colorado River <br />Water Conservation District and Board staff were also in attendance along with several consultants and <br />two members of the press. It is anticipated that the Scoping Report will he available in February 2006. <br />The NEP A process anticipates that a draft EIS will be available to the public in December 2006, a final <br />EIS available in October 2007 and the Record of Decision issued in December 2007. The 7-Colorado <br />River Basin States submitted a joint comment letter to Interior during the infonnal scoping process on <br />Aug. 25 and would provide any additional comments jointly as well. <br /> <br />19 <br />