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<br />f~i~'~--:--;-": ,.:----;-.-'-~.- -:;;:;.~~.'~r-.;--;;'.-',:,"'7~'~-':-..iif'.- <br />"'~ .~. ,.....! ,""",'.J,." .'...., #~ _M..6......_~. - <br />r~.::S ~._.-::'::~~~':;;"'-':";:~: ~,.i>,~~-_. <br /> <br /> <br />La.,~ Vegcw Wcwh MaJUHa, Lake Mead <br /> <br />Actual Operations Under Criteria <br />Water Year 1973 <br /> <br />Operation of the Colorado River during <br />1973 was based on a forecast of runoff. <br />Starting January I, the snowmelt runoff WaS <br />farecast and the requ ired re lease of stored <br />water to meet demands was scheduled for <br />each reservoir through September. At the <br />beginning of each month thereafter through <br />June, the forecast was revised based on pre- <br />cipitation and snow data col/ected during <br />the month and the scheduled operation was <br />revised accordingly. <br />On February 27, 1973, the Federal Dis- <br />trict Court in Salt loke City, Utah, caused <br />the operation of the Colorado River ta be <br />altered by ordering the Secretary of the <br />Interior to take such actions as were neces- <br />sary to prevent the wate~ of lake Powell <br /> <br />from rising above elevation 3,606 feet and <br />entering Rainbow Bridge National Monu- <br />ment. This order remained in effect until <br />a stay af executian was issued on May I, <br />1973, by the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals. <br />During the time the order Was in effect de- <br />viation from the operation criteria resulted <br />in the release of about 1,425,000 acre-feet <br />of water from the Upper Basin that would <br />otherwise have been stored in lake Powel,. <br />A description of the actual operation of <br />each of the reservoirs in the Colarada River <br />Basin is given in the following paragraphs. <br />Charts I through 9 show hydrographs of mon- <br />th I y outflow from the reservoi rs and water <br />surface elevation and active storage in the <br />reservoir, for water year 1973. <br /> <br />1 <br />