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<br />-, <br /> <br />consistent with optimizing, to the extent possible, any <br />potential flood control, river regulation, water supply, <br />power generation, water quality, recreation, fish and <br />wildlife, and other environmental benefits. It does not <br />reorder priorities for which the reservoir system is operated <br />nor does it seek to favor or advance any particular.reservoir <br />purpose other than providing for more effective river <br />management under full reservoir conditions. <br /> <br />2.3 Description of Benefits and Risks <br /> <br />Consistent with the Operating Criteria, the <br />redistribution of excess water must reflect "appropriate <br />consideration of the users of the reservoirs for all <br />purposes, including flood control, river regulation, <br />beneficial consumptive use, power production, water quality <br />control, recreation, enhancement of fish and wildlife, and <br />other environmental factors". However, since the <br />redistribution of excess water releases addresses only <br />releases in excess of downstream water needs, "appropr iate <br />consideration" of uses involves a different perspective of <br />benefits and risks for each use than when releases are <br />limited to meeting only downstream water requirements. As <br />prev iously noted, cd tical to the concept of redistr ibution <br />of excess water releases is the minimization of risks to <br />conservation storage. This is an overriding principle in the <br />consideration of all reservoir uses in arriving at the basis <br />for redistributing excess water releases. <br /> <br />Frequently, the optimum reservoir operating procedure <br />for one purpose directly conflicts with the optimum operating <br />procedure for another purpose. Flood control benefits are <br />maximized by keeping reservoir storage levels low to maximize <br />the amount of empty space available to regulate flood flows. <br />Water supply benefits are maximized by keeping the reservoir <br />storage levels high so as to provide for deliveries during <br />multi-year periods with low runoff. Hydroelectric benefits <br />are maximized by storage somewhat lower than the optimum for <br />water conservation so as to minimize releases in excess of <br />power plant capacity. Also, such a lower storage level <br />avoids the necessity to release water to produce energy on a <br />continuous basis rather than storing it for release at a <br />later time to meet peak power demands. In general, a uniform <br />reservoir release would be more beneficial to recreation, <br />fish and wildlife, water quality, and stream bed and bank <br />maintenance but would be contrary to optimum releases for <br />water deliveries and power prOduction. <br /> <br />2.3.1 Flood Control Aspects. The Hoover Dam Flood <br />Control Regulations stipulate provisions which govern the <br />minimum vacant storage space and minimum releases from Lake <br />Mead during two distinct operational seasons. The first, <br /> <br />-9- <br />