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. . \ desirable to have more specificity in the operating criteria in order to better facilitate preparation of the AOP each year. Finally, the letter requests Reclamation to bring the 2000 review of the long-range operating criteria to a close and begin working on the 2005 review, Copies of the Board's December 1st comment letter and Reclamation's public meeting announcement have been included in the Board folder for your information, Proposed Modification to the Article V Decree Accounting Procedures in the Yuma Area Reclamation has been working closely with water users in the Yuma area to evaluate Article V Decree accounting procedures. Reclamation, in conjunction with water users have identified three distinct Decree accounting methodologies, including: (1) the Mainstream Water Option; (2) the Arizona Preferred Option; and (3) Current Decree Accounting Option (i.e., the status quo), According to the draft report prepared by Reclamation, the three options can be described as follows: o Current Article V Decree Accounting Option - This method evaluates the relationship between diversions, consumptive use, and measured and unmeasured return flows. The utilization of groundwater in the Yuma region, via pumping from wells, has proven to be problematic in quantifying annual consumptive use pursuant to Article V of the Decree; o Mainstream Water Option - This option evaluates the diversion and use of both surface and groundwater in the region and utilizes an annual check to monitor groundwater withdrawals and any applicable return flow or recharge to the aquifer above and below the Northerly International Boundary with Mexico (NlB);and o Arizona Preferred Option - This option is similar to Mainstream Water Option, but would eliminate the annual check of groundwater withdrawals from wells downstream of the NIB, Also, this option would not credit diverters for the return flows or recharge of the aquifer unless it was available for diversion in the United States above NIB, or it could be supplied as part of the Treaty delivery to Mexico at NIB. Based upon the three options identified in Reclamation's draft report, the Board submitted written comments on December 1st, Generally, the Board requested that Reclamation implement a number of safeguards if an option other than the Mainstream Water Option was selected. These proposed safeguards include the following: o Protection of the water quality and quantity of the Minute 242 well field; o Monitoring of the water surface elevation of the groundwater table in the Yuma area in an extensive fashion to determine: o The amount of water being pumped that will be replaced by Colorado River mainstream water, if any, o The impact that pumping has, or will have, on the Minute 242 well field, and 4