BOARD01613

• Board Meeting Date: 5/23/2005
• Description: WSP Section - Colorado River Issues
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Memo

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STATE OF COLORADO

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Colorado Water Conservation Board

Department of Natural Resources
1313 Sherman Street, Room 721
Denver, Colorado 80203
Phone: [phone]
FAX: [phone]
www.cwcb.state.co.us

MEMORANDUM

Bill Owens
Governor

TO:

Colorado Water Conservation Board Members

Russell George
Executive Director

FROM:

Randy Seaholm . ~
Chief, Water Supply Protection

Rod Kuharich
CWCB Director.

Dan McAuliffe
Deputy Director

DATE: May 16, 2005

SUBJECT: Agenda Item 28, May 23-25, 2005 Board Meeting -
Colorado River Issues

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The purpose of this agenda item is to provide a brief update on the Secretary of Interior's mid-year
review of the 2005 Annual Operating Plan for Colorado River Reservoirs (AOP), development of
shortage criteria, the development of the 2006 AOP, and deliveries to Mexico.

Mid-Year Review of the 2005 AOP for Colorado River Reservoirs

The Secretary of Interior issued her decision on the mid-year review of the 2005 AOP on May 2,
2005. The decision was to not lower releases out of Lake Powell to less than 8.23 million acre-
feet (MAF) during WY 2005 even though there was a large difference in storage between Lakes
Powell and Mead (34% vs. 62% of live storage capacity at the end of April). She cited the
improved runoff conditions in the basin and the likelihood that storage in Powell and Mead would
be approximately equal at the end of WY 2006. However, it did not mention the fact that Lower
Basin tributary inflow will be significantly above average (about 1.0 MAF more than the average
1.3 MAF) and the fact that Lower Basin reservoirs, except for Lake Mead were essentially full as
a result of the extensive precipitation in the Lower Basin during the previous 5 months. The
decision also did not mention that Lower Basin uses on whole exceed the 8.5 MAF allocated to
the Lower Basin under the Colorado River Compact. While the decision clearly stated that the
Secretary had the discretion to lower releases out of Lake Powell and noted the disclaimers as to
the differing positions between the Upper and Lower Basins regarding the Coordinated Long-
Range Operating Criteria for Colorado River Reservoirs, clearly the factual conditions for
reducing the releases out of Powell could not have been much better.

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The decision went on to note that there would be a mid-year of the 2006 AOP and if conditions
worsened by the time of the 2006 mid. year review that Interior would again consider the necessity
for reductions in the releases out of Lake Powell. The decision further stated that the AOP process
was not the appropriate forum in which to develop shortage strategies, yet it identified the

Colorado Water Conservation Board
Flood Protection. Water Supply Planning and Finance. Stream and Lake Protection
Water Supply Protection. Conservation and Drought Planning