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O~'-'7Q u~~ ~ . In the Colorado River Basin Project Act of September 30, 1968 (82 Stat. 885), Congress declares that the satisfaction of the Mexican Water Treaty from the Colorado River constitutes a national obligation and shall be the first obligation of any water augmentation project. However, the Basin States are not relieved of this obligation until such time as an augmentation plan is developed and in operation. Section 601 requires the Secretary and Federal officials to comply with the Colorado River Compact, Upper Colorado River Basin Compact, Boulder Canyon Project Act, Boulder Canyon Project Adjustment Act, The Mexican Water Treaty, the decree of the Supreme Court in Arizona v. California, and the Colorado River Storage Project Act in the operation of Federal reservoirs. The Secretary is di,rected to report On the annual cons,umptive uses of water from the Colorado River System. All contracts for the delivery of water from Federal reservoirs are to be conditional upon the availability of water under the Colorado River Compact. Section 602 directs the Secretary to propose criteria for the coordinated long-range operations of Federal reservoirs. Following the adoption of the criteria, the Secretary is to report on the actual operation for the preceding Compact water year. Section 603 reaffirms the rights of the Upper Basin to the consumptive uSe of water from the Colorado River System under the Colorado River Compact and the duties and powers of the Upper Colorado River Commission. A major problem in the Colorado River is that the original 1922 Compact was based upon an overly optimistic supply of water. Historical records show a wide fluctuation in the flow of the river from year to year, and depending on the accuracy of historical records and future supply projection, there is good evidence that the average annual yield of the river may be less than 15 m.a.f. The critical future limitation in the Colorado River Compact is the requirement of delivery of 75 m.a.f. to the Lower Basin each 10 years, reckoned in a continuing progressive series. . A Bureau of Reclamation hypothesis indicates that 5.8 m.a.f. should be a conservative average amount of water available for consumptive use in the Upper Basin States. Other studies have been made using differing basic assumptions and applying other factors which have suggested both higher and lower annual estimates. Recognizing assumptions upon which the Bureau hypothesis is based, the 5.8 m.a.f. will be used as a guide point in this report with the recognition that this figure is not supportable by the provisions of the Compacts and the understanding that its use is not intended in any way as an interpretation of the Compacts. 4