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<br />uualiU <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />Included in the Board folder is an October 20, 1998, letter from Mr. James Lochhead of <br />Colorado to Mr, Dave Kennedy and me regarding: "Background and Principles for Negotiation of <br />Special Interim Surplus Criteria.'. Attached to Mr. Lochhead's letter was a list of nine principles <br />which the other six Colorado River Basin states have agreed upon to establish the framework for <br />negotiation of interim surplus criteria for Colorado River reservoir operations. The list of principles <br />was further discussed at the October 26, 1998, meeting of the Colorado River Basin states <br />representatives. During that meeting, the other Basin States representatives agreed to provide more <br />detailed information regarding the proposed principles. That information is expected to be available <br />during the first week of December. <br /> <br />On October 30'", the Colorado River Board Agency Managers met to further discuss the <br />progress that is being achieved in resolving the linchpin issues contained in the Board's draft 4.4 <br />Plan and to begin to evaluate the list of principles for surplus criteria and reservoir operations to be <br />developed by the other Basin states, During the meeting the Agency Managers identified several <br />areas where technical information from the California Technical Committee (CTC) and the Legal <br />Committees is needed to be able to adequately evaluate these principles and to compare them with <br />the concepts being discussed within California The Agency Managers plan to meet following the <br />November Board meeting, and again on December 3, 1998, to continue this evaluation. <br /> <br />Under the direction of the Agency Managers, the California Technical Committee (CTC) has <br />met twice since the last Board meeting, The CTC is composed of technical people from each of the <br />six agencies and Boani staff. Its current assignment is to explore various reservoir operating <br />scenarios that could be used in the Colorado River Board's 4.4 Plan, Using Reclamation's computer <br />program, CRSSez, runs are being made to allow the Agency Mangers to select a "base-case" <br />reservoir operating scenario. Once the "base-case" is determined, alternatives will be run and <br />compared to the "base-case" to determine the operating criteria that best meets the objectives <br />presented in the Board's 4.4 Plan. The next meeting of the CTC will be on November 24,1998, at <br />the Board offices in Glendale, California. <br /> <br />Based upon Mr, Lochhead's October 20'" letter and the discussions during the October 26'" <br />Basin states meeting, it is apparent that the other Basin states view any change in operation of the <br />Colorado River Reservoirs as a negotiated agreement among the states. That negotiated agreement <br />would contain interim operation criteria of the Colorado River reservoirs contingent upon agencies <br />within California implementing programs that will allow California to reduce its future Colorado <br />River demand to 4.4 mafin nonnal years. As such, the negotiated reservoir operating strategy may <br />not be the best reservoir operating strategy from a strictly technical prospective, Also, the other <br />states anticipate that the Secretary of the Interior would adopt special, interim criteria for releases <br />from Lake Mead, thereby leaving intact the current Long-Range Operating Criteria adopted pursuant <br />to the 1968 Colorado River Basin Project Act. In general the principles, as presented by the other <br />Basin states, state the following: <br /> <br />. No guaranteed or assured firm water supply over a specified period of time, <br /> <br />. A firm commitment by California to implement Phase I of its Plan before the interim <br />criteria take effect, <br /> <br />5 <br />