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O~2552 . . operations. After consideration of all factors, we, the representatives of the seven Colorado River Basin states, prepared two statements of position, dated December 7, 1983 and August 24, 1984, on Colorado River management issues, which were presented to the Commissioner of Reclamation. Several issues regarding river management and operations were covered in those statements. With respect to flood control operations, the state representatives considered that the technical changes made in data collection and in procedures for making the maximum forecasts of runoff and inflows to Lakes Powell and Mead (which increased the margin for error) offered sufficient levels of flood protection considering the fact that the 1983 high flows were a rare event. We concluded that it would not be desirable to reduce the floodway capacity and that there was no need to increase the vacant flood control storage space. We also concluded that the 1982 Hoover Dam Flood Control Regulations are based on the most acceptable mix of the purposes of flood control, water conservation, and power generation, and should continue to govern future operations. We further recommended that a floodway capable of containing a flood control release of 40,000 cfs from Hoover Dam should be maintained. Periodic review of river operations and annual plans of operations by the Governor's representatives of the respective Basin states continued into 1984 and 1985 to provide input to the Bureau with regard to the management of the sustained high runoff that has been experienced since 1983 under full reservoir conditions. These two years of additional experience have confirmed our initial conclusions regarding the need to maintain a 40,000 cfs floodway. Proposed Colorado River Floodway Protection Act On March 7, 1984, Congressmen Richard Cheney and Morris Udall introduced House Bill H.R. 5055, which would establish a Colorado River Floodway below Hoover Dam, and would severely limit federal expenditures within the floodway. The Colorado River Board of California, representing one of the three states that would be directly affected by terms of the proposed legislation, carefully reviewed the bill. Based on comments by the California cities, communities, and counties along the Colorado River and California's Colorado River water and power users, California's representative developed modifications to the proposed legislation that would meet the concerns of those entities, while maintaining the purpose of the bill. The Colorado River Basin state representatives considered the amendments proposed by California and reached agreement on a further draft of the legislation during a -7-