WSP05694

• File Number: 8282.500.20.A
• Description: Colorado River Operations
• Basin: Colorado Mainstem
• Date: 7/25/1969
• Author: USDOI/BOR
• Title: Meeting of Federal and State Representatives for Review of Basic Data Pertinent to the Preparation of Operating Criteria for the Colorado Pursuant to Section 602 of Public Law 90-537
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Publication

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Cliff Pugh of Phoenix, along with Maurice Langley and Dick Shunick

from the Commissioner's Office in Washington have all participated

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in a number of the discussions.

The filling criteria under which we are now operating the river

system in general is somewhat less rigid than the provisions of

Section 602. These general principles for operating Lake Powell

and Lake Mead during the Lake Powell filling period were announced

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by the Secretary of the Interior on April 4, 1962, and published

in the Federal Register. We will continue to operate under the

1962 criteria, especially with regard to replacement of Hoover

Firm Energy deficiencies from the Colorado River Storage Project

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until the filling criteria terminate under their own terms. To

the extent the filling criteria are incompatible with the law, the

law will naturally govern.

As you can readily see, this legislation adds considerably to the

prior voluminous responsibility of the Secretary of the Interior

in Colorado River matters. The approach to a plan of operation

which we will discuss here today has been developed for the reser-

voirs of the Colorado River Storage Project and Lake Mead to secure

the maximum use of the waters of the Colorado River Basin, consistent

with Section 602. The operating criteria under consideration are

intended to be applicable during the period prior to the availability

of water augmentation facilities deacribed in Section 202 of the act.

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