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<br />. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />The preliminary April I " forecast of 1998 end-of-year California agricultural conswnptive <br />use of Colorado River water under the first three priorities of the 1931 California Seven Party <br />Agreement is 3.809 mat: lbis estimate is based on the collective use through March 1998 by the <br />Palo Verde Irrigation District (PVID), the Ywna Project Reservation Division (YPRD), the Imperial <br />Irrigation District (lID). and the Coachella Valley Water District (CVWD). Figure I, found at the <br />end of this report, depicts the forecast of end-of-year agricultural use for the year. <br /> <br />Colorado River Ooerations <br /> <br />In December, Reclamation initiated non-damaging flood control releases from Hoover, <br />Parker, and Davis Dams in order to provide additional space in the Colorado River System due to <br />the large amount of water in storage, at that time, and the probability of a normal or near-normal <br />runoff forecast. As the releases progressed, Reclamation indicated that it would wait until February <br />to determine if it would maintain the current release levels. Those releases were maintained through <br />February; then ll'l. March, although not required. a decision was made to continue the release of water <br />above downstream requirements, but at a reduced level. Included in the Board folder is a News <br />Release Update from Reclamation indicating that beginning on April I" releases from Hoover, <br />Davis, and Parker Dams would be at those releases required to meet downstream water demands. <br />No more water will be released for flood control or space building purposes this year unless weather <br />conditions dictate.. <br /> <br />As you are aware, Mexico is allowed to revise its annual water delivery schedule upon 30 <br />days written notice. Included in the March Board folder was a letter, dated February 9, 1998, from <br />Reclamation to the IBWC incorporating Mexico's revised delivery schedule for the remainder of the <br />1998 calendar year. That request included a reduction in the scheduled delivery of water in March <br />and a corresponding increase in the scheduled delivery of water in December of 1998. Included in <br />this month's Board folder is another letter from Reclamation to the IBWC. dated April 7, 1998, <br />responding to Mexico's request to increase its April water delivery schedule with a corresponding <br />decrease in its December water delivery schedule. <br /> <br />Included in the Board folder is a second letter to Commissioner Bernal of the IBWC, <br />addressing Reclamation's pending requests for information from Mexico. These requests included <br />information that deal with the removal of sediment from the Colorado River in the limotrophe <br />section, operation of the Ywna Desalting Plant, impacts associated with thc Cienega de Santa Clara, <br />ground water levels and volwnes of water pwnped from the Mexicali and Sonora valleys, water flow <br />below Morelos Dam to the Sea of Cortez, and topographic and canal design data on Mexico's water <br />delivery systems. <br /> <br />Reclamation has announced the start of its process to develop the 1999 Annual Operating <br />Plan for the Colorado River System Reservoirs (1999 AOP). The first meeting of the Colorado <br />River Management Work Group will be held on May 15, 1998. At that meeting. Reclamation will <br />distribute a draft of its proposed 1999 AOP containing the typical three hydrological scenarios used <br />in the past, a determination regarding the availability of water to meet deliveries to water users in <br />the Lower Basin, the availability of water for scheduled delivery to Mexico. and the release of water <br />from Glen Canyon Dam. It is envisioned that the process for development of the AOP will be <br /> <br />2 <br />