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<br />Basic Concepts" that the Upper Division States should be mindful of during <br /> <br />the formulation of the long-range operating criteria. (Refer to the <br /> <br />discussion under "Commission position.lt) <br /> <br />The report of the Engineering Committee proceeded to identify specific <br /> <br />positions of importance to the Upper Division States. One position <br /> <br />concerning Upper Basin storage noted that section 602 only requires that <br /> <br />"probabilities of water supply" be taken into consideration. The October 30, <br /> <br />1969 "Report of the Committee on Probabilities and Test Studies to the Task <br /> <br />Force on Operating Criteria for the Colorado River" implied a probability <br /> <br />criterion of "98.4+%" as the maximum that should be imposed on the Upper <br /> <br />Division by the long-range operating criteria. <br /> <br />The Engineering Committee also noted that the Secretary's storage <br /> <br />requirement provides for annual releases of 8.23 maf from Lake Powell. With <br /> <br />an allowance of 20,000 acre-feet inflow from the Paria River, annual delivery <br /> <br />at Lee Ferry would be 8.25 maf. (The Bureau of Reclamation claims that it is <br /> <br />coincidental that this figure equals 7.5 mafplus 750,000 acre-feet, or the <br /> <br />Article 111(a) Lower Basin Compact apportionment of 7.5 maf per year plus <br /> <br />one-half of the 1.5 maf Mexican Water Treaty delivery.) <br /> <br />The long-range <br /> <br />operating criteria were to include a statement that releases of 8.23 maf per <br /> <br />year should not be construed as the obligation of the Upper Division States <br /> <br />under Article III of the Colorado River Compact. Section 11(5) of the Long- <br /> <br />Range Operating Criteria contains a disclaimer for that purpose. <br /> <br />Comments on the draft criteria from the Lower Division States pointed to <br /> <br />Bureau studies that indicated that the Upper Basin would not suffer shortages <br /> <br />or violate minimum power head under any rule curve tested. As a result, the <br /> <br />Lower Basin States asserted that great latitude should be granted in the use <br /> <br />of the total active storage in Lake Mead. <br /> <br />8 <br />