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<br />
<br />Introduction
<br />
<br />The Colorddo RI\t'r BOilrd of
<br />Caliiorniil ....as Cfl;'dll>d by the State
<br />It'gi..lilture in 1937. It h<ls tht'
<br />responsibilitv of protf'oing the rights
<br />and interl"sls of the Sl.ue, ils agl'nc-ies,
<br />and Its citi7f'ns In the \\ alN and
<br />hvdroelectric po,\{'r rpsources of the
<br />Colorado River Svslem. The duti('s of
<br />the Board are s('[ fonh in Se<.lions
<br />125li through 12533 of the California
<br />Wdter Code. The aclivilles of th(.
<br />Bo,ud's 13-m('mbt'r sl<lif are dlrt'Cll-d
<br />bv the Chiel Enginl't'r. The Californi<l
<br />Anorney Gent'ral is leR,ll (-ounsello
<br />the Board_
<br />The Board's 1976 Annual Report
<br />de..cribed It'gislalion which addt>d fi, I;'
<br />ml'mbers 10 lhe BO.Hd. During 1977,
<br />the Governor appointPd membprs and
<br />alll'rnilte<; for t"i1ch of tht" si, dgencif'.
<br />holding wolter and ptl\\{'r rights from
<br />lhe Colorado River and in ddditlon,
<br />.1ppointPd thf{'(' public mt:'mbers.
<br />P.1tricia C. ~agle. representing lhe Lo~
<br />Angeles Depdftml;'nt of W.1ter .1nd
<br />Powl'r, was also ndml>d Chairm.1n of
<br />lhl;' Board.
<br />
<br />Colorado River
<br />Operations
<br />
<br />O{Jer.ltion.~ Duong 1977
<br />
<br />The estim.1tf:'d virgm ilO\\ oi the
<br />Colorado River at Lee ferrv during
<br />the 1976-77 water vear (October 1
<br />through Seplpmber 30 f was 5,-170,000
<br />acre-It"t'1. a nt'...... hi..toricallo..... flow. II
<br /><lmountf:'d tn -10 pPrcenl of thl:'
<br />long-timE' d\ierd~e ilm\ of 13,756,000
<br />aue-feel for the 56-veilr period from
<br />1922 to 1977 dnd dbout 300,000
<br />.lue-feet 100,t'f than tht, previous
<br />minimum which occurred m 193-1
<br />Durin!o1 the waiN vear, slordge In
<br />Upper Basin r~ervoirs decrtw,ed b,
<br />5,535,000 dUt'-ft.('t. dnd ..Iora~e In lhe
<br />lo,\{'r Basin reservoir~ decre.1sed b,
<br />128,000 <lcre-lt't't. As of Seplember 30,
<br />
<br />.
<br />
<br />
<br />j)roll!:"l in C,fI,'",ni,1 tnT<t.(JhJII tIl d.,li,t";,,,
<br />"t'r.l/t.\\',tlt'fF'mWtl'lf/lJl/"" .f'(\fld,,'"
<br />h,/nwt,""/'J'(-,J,rJftl,tk",'tJr/"tl,,,,t',
<br />
<br />1977, the tOldl dcti\'l' ~tordgp In Iht'
<br />m<ljor UpPf:'r Ba~1n rt''''l'rvoirs "d~
<br />19,912,000 .lue-it't-'I, and the anivt,
<br />storage In the Lm'l'r Basin rt'~t"rvoir..
<br />was 22,238.000 acre-feet. The .lClua!
<br />flow or the liver bt;>lm, Glen Cdnvon
<br />D.lm at lw Fl;'rrv ior tht' wall'r "{'<lr
<br />WdS 8.281,000 .1uP-it"el.
<br />The Burt;>au of Rt"clam.1110n
<br />e..,tim.llt'd the 1976-77 water \-ear
<br />UPPN Ba~in dt;>pletion~ b, the UPDt'r
<br />Bdsin ~ldlt'~ (Colorado, !\;t'..... \-1e,ico,
<br />Utah, <lnd \V,()ming I and .1 ~nMII
<br />portion oi Arizona, .11 3,..03,000
<br />acre-fet'l, 263.000 aue-ieet less Ihan
<br />Iht' previou~ ,.ear's il~ure. Thl'
<br />d('crl'd"'t' in UpPf:'r B.,sin depletion"
<br />W<lS dut' to the rf'Cord dr()u~ht
<br />condition... which Cilu~l>d t'oHh 't'ason
<br />drving up of ..lr("dm.. without "toragt'.
<br />with the re...ulllhat welter u...ers could
<br />nO! dl,erllheir enlire "dler nt't'{/" ior
<br />the ..,ea'-On. II ~hould bt., nOlt>d,
<br />hO\'evt'r, Ihal Ihe lon~-ran~e trt'nd
<br />h.l.. bt't.'n conlinuall\ incrt"d..in~ Uppt'r
<br />Basin depletions.
<br />
<br />DI\'er..iom les.. measuff.d rf'turn~
<br />from the mainstream for tht' m<lJClr
<br />\\dtlo'r U..,t'rs oj the lov\{'r Basin ..tales
<br />(Ari7ona. Caliiornid, <lnd ,'t'v<lda)
<br />\H're 6,086,000 acrl>-it'et for calend.lf
<br />vear 1'l77, 351,000 due-ieet more
<br />than in 1976. Oal<l ior major
<br />Cilliiornia u<,ers sho..... diversions lp..~
<br />rpturns for calendar vpar 1977 al
<br />-1,972.000 due-fl:'l't. 390,000 <Joe-It'pt
<br />mort' thdn 1976. The i\,.1elropohtan
<br />\\I,lI!:'r Di~trict of Southprn C<ltiforni.1
<br />InUl'J<,t'll il\ di\.er<,ions of Colorado
<br />Ri\er waler bv -185,000 aUl,-il-'('1 to
<br />rt'pl.l(P Caliiornia State Projt'("1 "dll'r
<br />dt'liwrie,> which had been curt.ailpd
<br />due 10 thp drou~ht, while the lmperi.ll
<br />IrriRdllon District dffredsro it..
<br />diversiom bv 11-1.000 acre-fet'l
<br />principallv due to a tropical slorm
<br />which CdU~l:'d disa~ter condilions in
<br />Impf'f1dl Vdllev durin~ Au!\u~1.
<br />Deliverie.... of Colorado Ri,f'r ,V.l!pr
<br />to \lellico in dtcordancf' \\ilh Ihe
<br />19-1-1 \-le\ican W.ller Treal\ tot.lllt'd†1,7,9,000 acre-it'et during calt"f1d.H
<br />'t'.If 1qi/ or 279.000 acre-it'1.'f in
<br />t>'(-('..~ of Iht' Tredlv'~ mrnimurn
<br />requirem{'nt A portion of Ihl' \\.llt'r
<br />dpliverro. 8.992 acre-feel, \\.1"
<br />cOn\e\'ro on an rntenm b<lsis 10 the
<br />Cit\' oi Tijuana through i.lcilili'''S of tht'
<br />"1l'tropo!itan Wd!E'f Di....triet d,w other
<br />d!,:t.ncies in <lccordance Wilh 'hnult'
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