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<br />THE SECRETARY OF THE INTERIOR
<br />WASHINGTON
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<br />OCT I 4 1997
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<br />Honorable Roy Romer
<br />Governor of Colorado
<br />Denver, Colorado 80203
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<br />Dear Governor Romer:
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<br />The Bureau of Reclamation, after consultation at a meeting on July 29, 1997, with representatives
<br />of the Colorado River Basin States, the Upper Colorado River Commission, appropriate Federal
<br />agencies In . d th interested parties in Colorado River operations, ~
<br />, ," (copy enclosed) for the Colorado River rese~
<br />peration reflects use of the reservoirs for all purposes consistent with the "Criteria for Coordinated
<br />Long-Range Operation of the Colorado River Reservoirs Pursuant to the Colorado River Basin
<br />Project Act of September 30, 1968" (Operating Criteria),
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<br />Pursuant to required Secretarial determinations, storage equalization and the avoidance of spills will
<br />control the annual releases from Glen Canyon Dam in accordance with Article II(3) of the Operating
<br />Criteria, unless the minimum objective release criterion in Article II(2) is controlling, If the
<br />equalization criterion is controlling, Glen Canyon Dam will be operated to release sufficient water
<br />during water year 1998 to equalize, as nearly as practicable, the active reservoir contents of Lake
<br />Powell and Mead on September 30, 1998,
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<br />Taking into account (l) the existing water supply conditions in the basin, (2) the most probable near-
<br />tenn water supply conditions in the basin, and (3) that the beneficial consumptive use requirements
<br />of Colorado River mainstream users in the Lower Division States are expected to be more than 9,250
<br />MCM (7,5 MAP), the surplus condition is the criterion governing the operation of Lake Mead for
<br />calendar year 1998 in accordance with Article ill(3)(b) of the Operating Criteria and Article II(2)(B)
<br />of the decree in Arizona v, California, This determination is warranted based on the current and
<br />projected hydrologic conditions in the Colorado River Basin and water needs in the Lower Division
<br />States, utilizing an analysis of future reservoir conditions, Lake Powell releases, and flood control
<br />releases, A volume of2,097 MCM (1.7 MAP) of water will be scheduled for delivery to Mexico
<br />during calendar year 1998 in accordance with Article 15 of the 1944 Mexican Treaty and Minute No,
<br />242 of the International Boundary and Water Commission, While there still is no agreed upon long-
<br />tenn strategy for the detennination of surplus conditions, the making of this determination, based on
<br />flood control and spill avoidance considerations, does not preclude the Secretary from adopting other
<br />determination criteria in future years,
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<br />Any Lower Division State will be allowed to use water apportioned to, but unused by, another Lower
<br />Division State in accordance with Article II(B)(6) of the decree in Arizona v, California, '
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