WSP05551

• File Number: 822.600.10
• Description: Colorado River Annual Operating Plan - Annual Reports
• Basin: Colorado Mainstem
• Date: 1/1/2002
• Author: USDOI/BOR
• Title: Annual Operating Plan
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Annual Report

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mainstream users in other Lower Division States as pro\;ded in the 1964 U.S. Supreme Court
Decree in Ari:ona v. California (Decree), and the interim Surplus Guidelines.

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Consistent with the above detenninations and in accordance 'With other provisions of "The Law
of the River," the AOP was developed with "appropriate consideration of the uses of the
reservoirs for all purposes, including flood control, river regulation, beneficial consumptive uses,
power production, water quality control, recreation, enhancement offish and v.ildIife, and other
environmental factors" (Operating Criteria, Aniele 1(2)).

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Since the hydrologic conditions of the Colorado River Basin can never be completely known in
advance, the AOP addresses the operations resulting from three different hydrologic scenarios:
the probable maximum, most probable, and probable minimum reservoir inflow conditions. River
operations under the plan are modified during the year as runoff predictions are adjusted to reflect
existing snowpack, basin storage, and flow conditions.

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Summal")'

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UDper Basin Delivery. Storage equalization and the avoidance of spills will control the annual
releases from Glen Canyon Dam in accordance with Article 11(3) of the Operating Criteria unless
the minimum objective release criterion in Article 11(2) is controlling.

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Lower Basin Delivery. Downstream deliveries and/or flood control parameters are expected to
control the releases from Hoover Dam.

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Taking into account (I) the existing water storage conditions in the basin, (2) the most probable
near.term water supply conditions in the basin, and (3) that the beneficial consumptive use
requirements of Colorado River mainstream users in the Lower Division States are expected to
be more than 7.5 million acre.feet (MAP) or 9,250 million cubic meters (MC1\1), and specifically
(4) the Interim Surplus Guidelines, the Full Domestic Surplus condition is the criterion governing
the operation of Lake Mead for calendar year 2002 in accordance with Article III(3)(b) of the
Operating Criteria, Article I1(B)(2) of the Decree and Article XI, Section 2(B)(2) of the Interim
Surplus Guidelines.

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Any Lower Division State may be allowed to utilize water apportioned to, but unused by, another
Lower Division State in accordance ""ith Article 1I(B)(6) of the Decree and Article XI, Section
1(B) of the Interim Surplus Guidelines,

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1944 U.$,-Mexico Water Treatv Delivery. A volume of 1.5 1\1AF (1,850 1\1C1\1) of water will
be allowed to be scheduled for delivery 10 Mexico during calendar year 2002 in accordance with
Article 15 of the 1944 U.S.-Mexico Water Treaty and Minute No. 242 of the International
Boundary and Water Commission.

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October 15. 200 1

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