<br />. t1 . -
<br />J.'\.I"
<br />for termination of the Criteria by
<br />S€'Crelarial dt"Clafation.
<br />
<br />On June 22, 1980, lake Po.....ell
<br />reached elevation 3,700 fff!. By letter
<br />dated June 25, 1980, to Governor
<br />Brown, with similar letters to the
<br />governors of thl' othpr sill, Colorado
<br />Ri.....er Basin statps, Sffretary Andrus
<br />stated that sincp Lake Pm..ell had
<br />reached elevation 3,700 ippt and that
<br />Lakp Mead was then ill t'1t'vation
<br />1,201 ft't't. the "General Governing
<br />and Operating Cnteria During Lake
<br />Powell Filling Ppriod" promulR<1lt"{i on
<br />July 12, 1%2 werp thereby terminated_
<br />
<br />Colorado Rller Re..t'flOlr~
<br />Oper.11ing Crilf'fld
<br />
<br />The crileria for coordindted
<br />long-range operation of the re"t'rvoir..
<br />of the Colorado River. promulgdlf:'li
<br />by the St"uetary of tht, Interior on
<br />June 10, 1970, pursu.mt 10 the
<br />COlorddo River Ba...in ProW<:t Au of
<br />1968, provide that lht> Se'Cfetdfv shdll
<br />,>ponsor a formal (f'V;('W of the crilPria
<br />f'Vl'ry five yf'ar.... Thf> Id"t formal
<br />rt'view was in 1975.
<br />
<br />In July 1980, Secrt'tdf~' of lhp
<br />Int!:'rior Cffil Andru,> "en( d It'Upr 10
<br />Governor Bro...m and simil.H lettt'fs 10
<br />lhe governors of lhe other si,
<br />Colorado River B.lsin ,>talps, referrin~
<br />to this fivt'-yt'iH revi(>w rfOquiremt'nl nl
<br />the crilt'riCl. Tht' lettt'r ..tJlt'd th,lt lhprt'
<br />was a nt't.>d to rpVlt'W and refine
<br />opt"rdting rule... and stratt'!o1It">,
<br />p,micularlv 10 con..idNatlon of thp
<br />essenlidlly full condition of thp
<br />Colorado River Basin re...efvoir,>_ The
<br />Board's Chit"f Engint"t'f wa.. dt'...ignJtt>d
<br />to be California's represPnlali\e for
<br />the formdl revie\.. 01 tht' crlterid.
<br />
<br />The Chief En!o1lOPt'r coordlOaltod
<br />with Arizon.! ,lnd :\.e\ add
<br />represt'ntativ'l;'<, to dchle\e a common
<br />lowt'r B.l"in "tdle'" po...ition on lhe
<br />issues and st'nt a 1t'lIer d.lted Augu<"!
<br />28, 1980 to Water dnd Pm\pr
<br />Resources St"f\icp's Commi......loner
<br />Keith Higgmson. Tlw Chle! Engin€'t'r',
<br />leltt'r st,ned that a iormdl rev It'\', oi
<br />the criteria \\as not nl"{:es...iHV at the
<br />time but that ...ome ll!:'m" relaled to
<br />
<br />lh{' crit!:'ria nPPd 10 lx, accomplishPd.
<br />It Wol'; recommendt'd that the Service
<br />utilize its new computer program 10
<br />update the operational studies, which
<br />are now over 10 years old. Also
<br />mentioned was the is..ue of the
<br />objfftions by the lhrl't' Lower Basin
<br />states to thp Dppartmenl of lhe
<br />Interior's "paper accounting"
<br />pron.odure whefpbv advanced flood
<br />control relea..es were accountPd for
<br />as being rptained in Lake Mead fOf
<br />lhl' purpo...e of computing equalization
<br />of active storage bfotwf't'n Lakp \1ead
<br />and lake Powell.
<br />
<br />The Service called a mt>eting of the
<br />Sl'ven Basin stat~ in O<:tober to
<br />consider the differing opinions of the
<br />lOWl'r Basin and Upper Bilsin Stdtes
<br />over the paper accounting method.
<br />The Chief Engint,t'r duended the
<br />mt.t.'ting and st,ut'd thaI use of lhe
<br />method for lhi,> purpose was
<br />un.lCceptabll' and that the 1%8
<br />Color,l(lo River Basin Proit'Ct Act (P.l.
<br />90-5]71 and the St->(rt'tiHY of the
<br />'n(erior's 1970 Operating Criteria for
<br />Colorado River Basin reWf\'oirs were
<br />spt'cifir in the objt'Ctlve of equali7mg
<br />the dctive stora!o1e of pdch rest'rvnir.
<br />Furthprmore, there was no basi.. either
<br />10 tht' Idw or in ft>derdl rt'Hulation.. for
<br />am fictItIOUS dccountin~ mt,thud. The
<br />~t'vada and Arizond repre..t'nt.ltive...
<br />dt the mt't.'tin.'l: supported tht' Chit,j
<br />EnglOeN'" rontenliom. Upper Bd..in
<br />reprp<,enldtl\l''!> .ll thc> mPt'ting ..tdtM
<br />Oblfftlon.. 10 Iht, St'rvict' releasing dnv
<br />waler ifOm ldkt' ""'It'dd in excps<, of
<br />dow nstream deliverv rt'qUlremenls or
<br />to m('l't Corps of Engint"ers flood
<br />control rt'guldtions unit,s.. pilper
<br />account 109 W<l.. u..t>d_ This poslllon
<br />WdS lalpr sldtt>d 10 a It'Her irom (he
<br />.....(>\.. "'e,ilo State Engint,t'r 10 tht'
<br />Servicp.... Commissioner,
<br />
<br />In a It'ttt'r ddted Dfft'mber 11,
<br />1980, tht> R~ional Din"oor oi the
<br />lov.er Colorado Rt'giondl Oiiict'
<br />iniormed concernt'd dgpncie.-. in (he
<br />COlorddo RI\t'r Ba..1O stales tholt 10 tht'
<br />1'~81 \\alt'r n'cH, e'cp.... release.. from
<br />lake \1t'dd 10 mlOlmizt' Hood rele.N'
<br />problems \..ould not e'ceed 1,700,000
<br />.lCre-iet't. The It'tter .11"0 sl.lled that, 10
<br />\ ie\.. oi the full condition of the
<br />
<br />11
<br />
<br />Upper Bdsin reservoirs, he belil'vecl
<br />there would be no impairment of
<br />Upper Bdsin firm water use whether
<br />or not the paper dccounting was
<br />continued. The lettpr continued by
<br />stating that there would be no further
<br />carryover oi the paper accounting of
<br />thp prior excess relp.1ses from lake
<br />Mead and that no further credits
<br />would be accumulated during water
<br />year 1981. In order to optimizl'
<br />opt"raling aspect~ of the Glen Canyon
<br />Powerpldnl, thl.' letter also indicated
<br />thaI the equalization of storagt> in
<br />Lakt'S \1ead and Pov.-ell would occur
<br />some lime later in the fall of 1981
<br />ratht'r than bv Septembpr 30.
<br />
<br />In a meeling bt>tween
<br />repr~enldtiv{'s of the Colorado River
<br />Basin stdtt'S, the Uppt'f and lower
<br />Colorado R~ional Dirt'Ctors, dnd the
<br />Commis..iont'r to discuss the
<br />[}t'(ember 11, 1980 leiter, the Upper
<br />Cnlorado Regional Dirl'Ctor stdlro thaI
<br />he had worked with the Lower
<br />Color.ldo Re~ional Oirt'Ctor on th{'
<br />preparation of the It,lter .md
<br />f:oncurrPd thprein. Tht, Commi...sioner
<br />statt'(:!. howpver, (hat he h.Hi not
<br />redcht'{j a dt"{-ision yet on whether or
<br />not to approve lhe Iptter,
<br />
<br />The Assistant Chit'! Engineer
<br />rC'prc'wnt('d the Board at the mel'ling
<br />and strongly ..upported tht' plan
<br />recommt'ndt.'d in the tettef, as did the
<br />Arizona and :'\;evada representdtivt's.
<br />Howe\er, in fl~pon..e to stron!o1
<br />prpssure from lht' Upper Basin Stales.
<br />Iht, Commissioner agreed to delav d
<br />dl'(;ision on the issue,> until lanuaf\
<br />31, lQ81, during which time he d!o1ft>ed
<br />to recPl\t' supplpmentaltetters on lhe
<br />is<;ues irom the "'dte...
<br />
<br />Hom er U,Jm Flood
<br />C vnrrol Rt:'llul.llion~
<br />
<br />On 'mf'mber 17, 1980, tht' Water
<br />dnd Po.....er Re<;ouru's Sef\'if:e entered
<br />into dn interim dgret>ment with tht'
<br />Arm\ Corps of Engint>ers entitled
<br />"Fit'ld \Vorl..lOg AWt'l'ffient
<br />Rt>!o1arding Flood Conlrol O!)t>ralion of
<br />HooH'r Dam dod lake \1ead.
<br />Colotado Riwr, 'evdd.:J-Arizona",
<br />The purpo..e oi this lipId \..orking
<br />
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