WSP04195

• File Number: 8282.600.10
• Description: Colorado River Operating Annual Reports
• Basin: Colorado Mainstem
• Date: 1/1/1973
• Author: USDOI/BOR
• Title: Operation of the Colorado River Basin 1973 Projected Operations 1974
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Publication

Projected Plan of Operation
Under Criteria for Current Year.

DETERMINATION OF "602(3) STORAGE"

Section 602(0)(3) of the Colorado River
Basin Project Act of September 30, 1968
(Public Law 90- 537), provides for the storage
of Colorado River water not required to be
released under Articles III(c) and III(d) of
the Colorado River Compact in Upper Basin
reservoirs to the extent the Secretary finds it
to be reasonably necessary to assure Compact
deliveries without impairment of annual con-
sumptive uses in the Upper Basin. Article II
of the Criteria for Coordinated Long-Range
Operation of Colorado River Reservoirs pur-
suant to that Act provides that the annual
plan of operation shall include a determina-
tion by the Secretary of the quantity of
water considered necessary as of September 30
of the current year to be in storage as required
by Section 602(0) of P. L. 90-537ofter
considerati on of all appl i cable laws and
relevant factors, including, but not limited
to the following:
(a) Historic streamflows;
(b) The most critical period of record,
(c) Probabilities of water supply;
(d) Estimated future depletions in the
Upper Basin, including the effects
of recurrence of critical periods of
water supply;
(e) The "Report of the Committee on
Probabilities and Test Studies to the
Task Force an Operating Criteria

for the Colorado River," dated
October 30, 1969, and such addi-
tional studies as the Secretary deems
necessary;
(f) The necessity to assure that Upper
Basin consumptive uses not be
impaired because of failure to
store suffi cient water to assure
deliveries under Section 602(a)(I)
and (2) of P. L. 90-537.
Taking into consideration these and other
relevant factors, the Secretary has determined
that the active storage in Upper Basin reser-
voirs forecast for September 30, 1974, on the
basis of average runoff during the current
year, exceeds this "602(0) Storage" require-
ment under any reasonable range of assump-
tions which might be realistically applied to
those items which he is directed to consider
in establishing this storage requirement.
Therefore, the accumulation of "602(0)
Storage" is not the criterion governing the
release of water during the current year.
The Lake Powell active storage forecast for
September 30, 1974, is projected to be less
than the Lake Mead active storage forecast
for that date.
The plan of operation during the current
year is to release about 8,230,000 acre-feet
in accordance with Secti an 603(0)(3) of
Publ i cLaw 90-537.

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