WSP01185

• File Number: 8282.500.20.A
• Description: Colorado River Operations
• Basin: Colorado Mainstem
• Date: 8/15/1986
• Author: UCRC
• Title: Draft - Upper Colorado River Commission Action Related to Operation of the Colorado River Reservoir System
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Publication

'operating criteria' suggested by the Commission deals only with the

appropriate date for equalization of active storage, it does not appear that

there is need at this time for a formal meeting of State and Federal repre-

sentatives to review the 'operating criteria. III In their comments the

Commission and the States maintained that the September 30 date for equal-

izing the active storage in Lake Powell with the active storage in Lake Mead

is too rigid and the criteria should provide for a period over which equal-

ization should occur. "This period might be 30-60-90 or more days. . ."

(Comments and Recommendations of the Upper Colorado River Commission on

Criteria for Coordinated Long-Range Operation of Colorado River Reservoirs

dated August 9, 1975; refer also to the section in the instant report on

tlequalization.")

The Secretary of the Interior in his letter of January 13, 1976 with

attached noticed to be published in the Federal Register indicated Of. the

Secretary has the authority to 'equalize storage' within a reasonable period

of time before or after September 30; the language of Article 11(3) of the

operating criteria is aimed at establishing an operational objective." He

also concluded: "Most comments, including those received from each of the

Colorado River Basin States, suggest that present conditions do not justify a

formal meeting to review the criteria, and therefore, no formal meetings are

planned."

The second review was initiated in July of 1980. The expressed need for

a review by the Department of the Interior was to optimize the utilization of

water in an essentially full reservoir system. Specific parts of the

Criteria which could be refined were listed in a September 17, 1980 letter

from N. W. Plummer, the Regional Director of the Upper Colorado Region of the

Bureau of Reclamation, and included:

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