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<br />demand, additional water is released as necessary to satisfy the demand'. As the demand varies, <br /> <br /> <br />so does the release of water from the reservoir. As a result, operation of the Orchard Mesa Check <br /> <br /> <br />has a direct impact on storage releases from Green Mountain Reservoir. <br /> <br />HISTORIC ADMINISTRA TlON - COLORADO RIVER <br /> <br />The State Engineer has historically required that the Orchard Mesa Check be fully in place and <br />providing water to the GVIC water rights prior to curtailing junior water rights in the Colorado River <br />basin or releasing water from Green Mountain Reservoir. This operation benefitted basin water <br />rights by effectively reducing the amount of the Cameo demand to approximately 1,700 cfs. The <br />State's past administration of the Check is documented through correspondence prepared by past <br />Division Engineers, Finley and Enewold and through a report prepared by the Colorado River Water <br />Conservation District's Secretary/Engineer, Mr. F.C. Merriell (undated). The documents span a <br />period beginning in the 1940's through the early 1980's. Copies of the Finley and Enewold letters <br />are contained in Attachment 2. <br /> <br />The State's historic administrative practice is illustrated through events that occurred during the <br />dry year of 1977. On or about June 18th, the natural flows in the Colorado River dropped below <br />2,260 cfs thereby causing a shortage to GVIC's 119.47 cfs water right. Rather than placing a call <br />on the river, OMID implemented the Check to divert a sufficient quantity of water to the GVIC <br />headgate to allow continued diversion of their full rights (640 cfs). As streamflows continued to <br />drop over the ensuring week, the Check was increased as necessary to help maintain GVIC's full <br />diversion. By June 30th, the Check was delivering approximately 400 cfs to the GVIC headgate. <br /> <br />On July 1 st, the natural streamflow at Cameo dropped below 1,700 cfs causing a shortage to <br />GVIC's 119.47 cfs right despite operation of the Check. Accordingly, on this date GVIC placed <br />a call on the river (Attachment 21. On July 11 th, the Bureau of Reclamation initiated release of <br />water from Green Mountain Reservoir to help supplement the natural streamflows. During this <br />period the Check was maintained in place to help satisfy the GVIC demand. Figure 3 illustrates <br />the relationship between the Check and the GVIC diversions during the critical call period in 1977. <br /> <br />Releases are not made to satisfy the USA's 400 cfs power right. Industrial and power <br />users are not recognized as a preferred beneficial use under Senate Document 80. <br /> <br />6 <br />