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<br />I. <br />; <br /> <br />G02611 <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />Colorado River Operations <br /> <br />2005 Annual Operating Plan (AOP) <br /> <br />The second meeting of the Colorado River Management Work Group was held on <br />August 19, 2005, in Las Vegas, Nevada. A copy of the meeting agenda has been included in the <br />Board folder for your information. At the meeting, updates associated with basinwide <br />hydrologic conditions and operations were provided by Reclamation staff. Additionally, <br />Reclamation's Yuma Area Office provided an overview of operations below Parker Dam, <br />including those in conjunction with the 1944 Treaty with Mexico. A review draft of the 2005 <br />Annual Operating Plan for the Colorado River System Reservoirs (2005 AOP) is included in the <br />Board folder and will be discussed at the Board meeting. Also, a copy of the latest review draft <br />of the 2005 AOP can be found at htty://www.usbr.gov/uc/water/aop/aopOSdraft.pdf. <br /> <br />Based upon the data provided in the August 2004 24-Month Study, Reclamation has <br />indicated that the criterion governing reservoir operations in 2005 will be the normal criterion. <br />This determination has been made based upon the projected water surface elevation of Lake <br />Mead on December 31, 2004, as projected in the August 2004 24-Month Study. The water <br />surface elevation for Lake Mead on December 31" indicated in the Study was 1,124.28 feet <br />above mean sea level. It is recognized that, within this estimate of Lake Mead's projected <br />December 31" water surface elevation, there are several unknowns including releases from Lake <br />Powell, tributary inflow between Lakes Powell and Mead, and releases from Lake Mead. To <br />increase Lake Mead's water surface elevation above 1125 feet, which would be a partial <br />domestic surplus, would take either an increase of inflow into Lake Mead, a reduction of releases <br />from Lake Mead or a combination of increased inflow and reduction of releases at Lake Mead <br />totaling about 75,000 acre-feet between now and December 31, 2004. <br /> <br />Due to the current severe drought and the reduction in available reservoir storage in the <br />Upper Colorado River Basin and especially in Lake Powell, the Upper Basin states proposed that <br />. the 2005 AOP provide for a mid-year review of the reservoir operations to determine if <br />adjustments to Lake Powell's releases are warranted. Potentially, this would mean that less than <br />8.23 maf would be released from Glen Canyon Dam during Water Year 2005 to conserve storage <br />in Lake Powell. A reduced release of water from Lake Powell would translate into reductions of <br />the inflow into Lake Mead and in Lake Mead's water surface elevation <br /> <br />Estimates of 2005 Diversions <br /> <br />Reclamation recently sent letters to each of the entitlement holders in the Lower Division <br />States regarding the best estimates of 2005 monthly diversion requirements in order to plan for <br />river operations for the coming calendar year. Reclamation has requested that the entitlement <br />holders provide this information to the Boulder Canyon Operations Office by August 15tb. <br />Included in the Board folder is a representative letter for your information. <br /> <br />3 <br />