BOARD01807

• Board Meeting Date: 5/24/2004
• Description: CWCB Director's Report
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Memo

March 2004 after more than 13 years of service with the Commission. Ostler will begin his service with the
Commission on May 17.

The Commission administers the Upper Colorado River Basin Compact, signed in 1948 by representatives of
the States of Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming and the United States. The major purpose of
the Compact is to provide for the equitable division and apportionment of the use of the waters of the Colorado
River System, the use of which was apportioned in perpetuity to the Upper Basin by the Colorado River
Compact of 1922. The Commission is made up of one Commissioner selected by the Governors of the States of
Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming and one Commissioner appointed by the President of the United
States, who serves as the Commission's chairman.

Ostler worked for the Utah Bureau of Water Pollution Control from 1972 until 1987, when he became Director
of the Utah Division of Water Quality. Ostler has served as the president of the Association of State and
Interstate Water Pollution Control Administrators, chairman of the Bear River Commission's Water Quality
Committee and member of the University of Utah's Civil Engineering Advisory Committee. He has also chaired
the Western States Water Council's Water Quality Committee and is a member of the Utah Soil Conservation
Commission. Ostler is currently serving on the Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Forum. He was recently
nominated by the American Academy of Environmental Engineers as one of eight nominees to the Utah
Engineers Council for the 2004 Engineer of the Year award. Ostler has also received a public service award
from the Water Environment Association.

Colorado River Annual Operating Plan -2004: On March 17 Interior Secretary Norton signed the 2004
Annual Operating Plan for Colorado River System Reservoirs. A copy of the signed AOP was received on
April 29.

With the signing of the Quantification Settlement Agreement (QSA) in October 2003, the Interim Surplus
Guidelines provide that the "Partial Domestic Surplus" will govern the releases to Arizona, California, and
Nevada in 2004.

With respect to Upper Basin operations, the minimum objective release of 8.23 maf will govern releases from
Lake Powell. Also, since Powell is below the current 602( a) storage level, there is no equalization of storage
between Powell and Mead anticipated in 2004. Reclamation has notified the International Boundary and Water
Commission (IBWC), U.S. Section, that there is no excess water available to Mexico in 2004 and has
recommended that they notify the Mexican Section to plan on a 1.5 maf delivery year. You can review the plan
online at h_tt.P-l(~~Yl!~!Y_o_!~_!?1~[:g.Q:dly-b;~gj.QD-lg:tQQ_Q{~Q.p-~1:f_t1n~tp-Qf

Colorado River Annual Operating Plan -2005: The first consultation meeting for the development of the
2005 AOP will be held on
June 11 in Las Vegas.
Reclamation intends to post a
draft of the 2005 AOP prior
to the meeting on its web
site.

Colorado River Water Use:
- As of April 28, storage in
the five major Upper Basin
reservoirs decreased by
174,900 acre-feet and storage
in the Lower Basin reservoirs
increased by 376,700 acre-
feet during April. Total
System active storage was
30.814 million acre-feet
(maf) or 52 percent of
capacity, which is 4.112 maf
less than one year ago. With

May 1 Forecast of 2004 Year-End Colorado River
Water Use by the California Agricultural Agencies

5

3.850 MAF
mmmmn, 2003 Target = 3.74 MAF
." - -.,.. -2006Target=3.64MAF
m , om .. 2009 Target = 3.53 MAF
".. ".. ".. 2012 Target = 3.47 MAF
,mn~nmYear-End Forecast
. Use This Year

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