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<br />o <br />o <br /><:> <br />..... <br />~ <br />(.1'"\ <br /> <br />Water Development Projection Analysis - An estimated "Development Projection" for each <br />of the major basins and subbasins of the Colorado River Basin within Colorado will be <br />developed by the "Water Development Committee" with the assistance of Board staff. The <br />Board will use these "Development Projections" only as a guideline to help assure that protection <br />of fish recovery instream flows will not deprive the people of the State of Colorado of the <br />beneficial use of those waters available by law and Interstate Compacts. The following factors <br />will be considered during development of the projections: <br /> <br />o the best available hydrologic and consumptive use data <br />o Colorado River and Upper Colorado River Basin Compacts <br />o generous long-term projections of future water development <br />o other information <br /> <br />On a statewide basis, the "Development Projection" is basically the amount of water available <br />for future development in Colorado under the Colorado River and the Upper Colorado River <br />Basin compacts. On a basinwide basis, it is the amount of water expected to be developed <br />within each basin based on full development of Colorado's compact apportionment. To maintain <br />flexibility, the sum of the "Development Projections" for each basin may exceed the amount of <br />water that is available on a state-wide basis under the compacts. This estimation process will <br />include the following major activities: <br /> <br />I) Estimate Colorado's total apportionment of Colorado River water under different deftned <br />interpretations of the Colorado River and the Upper Colorado River Basin compacts, <br /> <br />2) Estimate the present level of consumptive use of Colorado River water, and <br /> <br />3) Estimate the amount of water remaining to be developed within each subbasin based on <br />several possible methods of distribution. Distribution methods to consider include: (I) <br />basinwide priority system, (2) percentage of the total natural flow originating in a given <br />basin, and (3) any negotiated distribution that can be agreed on. <br /> <br />The following tasks describe the work to be done during this estimation process. <br /> <br />Task I Colorado Apportionment Analysis - This task involves the analysis of Colorado's <br />Colorado River Compact apportionment under different assumptions. Since the Law of the <br />River does not address the issue of monthly apportionment, the analysis will be done on a annual <br />basis. This analysis is similar to the Bureau of Reclamation's "Hydrologic Determinations" <br />required by P.L. 87-483, except that different assumptions will be used, These assumptions are: <br /> <br />A. Various assumptions of water supply available to the Upper and Lower Basins; <br />B. The U.S. Treaty obligation to Mexico will be evaluated under two assumptions: <br /> <br />I) The Upper Colorado River Basins states are not obligated to provide any portion of <br />the Mexican Treaty obligation. <br /> <br />9 <br />