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<br />factors, the Secretary was able to determine with reasonable certainty <br /> <br />that the storage in upper basin reservoirs forecast for September 30 <br /> <br />~, <br /> <br />for each particular year would exceed the 602(a) storage requirement. <br /> <br />'t,~ <br /> <br />After the drought of 1977 the plan presented to Congress and the <br /> <br />Governors at the beginning of 1978 was based on the schedule of an <br /> <br />8.23 million acre-foot minimum release from Lake Powell on the basis <br /> <br />that with such a release and a normal runoff in 1978, the active <br /> <br />storage in Lake Powell on September 30, 1978, would be about 2.9 <br /> <br />I <br /> <br />~ <br /> <br />million acre-feet less than the active storage in Lake Mead. <br /> <br />Th~u:a!.-or -,,-ir:gin runoff.5"f _tJ:1,e _C91orado River above Lee Ferry <br /> <br />in Wate~_ Year 1977 was ~he lowest of record and the combined runoff <br /> <br />for Water Years 1976 and 1977 was the lowest of record for two <br /> <br />consecutive years. Also, avegg_",--yj,eJ,d_of the_ river for the period <br /> <br />from 1931 through 1977 may have been slightly less than for the 1931 <br /> <br />through 1964 period that was previously recognized as the most critical <br /> <br />of record and uses in the upper basin have increased from 3,100,000 to <br /> <br />3,700,000 acre-feet per year since the Operating Criteria were formu- <br /> <br />lated. All of these factors point toward the need for developing the <br /> <br />basis and procedures by which the Secretary of Interior can determine <br /> <br />" <br /> <br />the amount of storage required to satisfy Section 602(a) of P. L. <br /> <br />" <br /> <br />90-537 in operating the Colorado River System in accordance with the <br /> <br />> , <br /> <br />Long-Range Operating Criteria. <br /> <br />,"' <br /> <br />Ie <br />