[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 162 (Tuesday, August 20, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 43073-43075]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-21216]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Reclamation


Review of Existing Coordinated Long-Range Operating Criteria for 
Colorado River Reservoirs

AGENCY: Bureau of Reclamation, Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Operating Criteria for Colorado River Reservoirs 
(Operating Criteria), promulgated pursuant to Public Law 90-537, were 
published in the Federal Register on June 10, 1070. The Operating 
Criteria provided for the coordinated long-range operation of the 
reservoirs constructed and operated under the authority of the Colorado 
River Storage Project Act, the Boulder Canyon Project Act, and the 
Boulder Canyon Project Adjustment Act for the purposes of complying 
with and carrying out the provisions of the Colorado River Compact, the 
Upper Colorado River Basin Compact, and the Mexican Water Treaty. The 
existing Operating Criteria are included at the end of this notice. 
Written comments are invited from the public as to whether the 
Operating Criteria should be modified.

DATES: Written comments must be received by October 18, 1996.

ADDRESSES: Written comments may be mailed to: Regional Director, Lower 
Colorado Region, Bureau of

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Reclamation, P.O. Box 61470, Boulder City, Nevada 89005, or Regional 
Director, Upper Colorado Region, Bureau of Reclamation, 125 South State 
Street, Room 6107, Salt Lake City, Utah 84138-1102.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Bruce Moore at (801) 524-5415 or in 
writing to the Bureau of Reclamation, Upper Colorado Region, 125 South 
State Street, Room 6107, Salt Lake City, Utah 84138-1102.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Operating Criteria provide for review at 
least every 5-years with participation by such Colorado River Basin 
State representatives as each Governor may designate and other parties 
and agencies as the Secretary may deem appropriate. Pub. L. 90-537 
allows the Secretary of the Interior, as a result of actual operating 
experiences or unforeseen circumstances, to modify the Operating 
Criteria to better achieve their specified statutory purposes. This 
will be the fifth 5-year review of the Operating Criteria conducted 
since their initial promulgation in 1970. The Commissioner of 
Reclamation shall be the authorized agent of the Secretary of the 
Interior for the purpose of conducting and coordinating this review.
    The scope of this review shall be consistent with the statutory 
purposes of the Operating Criteria, which are ``to comply with and 
carry out the provisions of the Colorado River Compact, the Upper 
Colorado River Basin Compact, and the Mexican Water Treaty.'' Long-
range operations generally refer to reservoir operations on an annual 
or less frequent basis, as opposed to short-term (hourly or daily) 
operations.
    In addition to accepting written comments, open public meetings 
will be held during calendar years 1996 and 1997. Notification of 
dates, times and places for public meetings will be made through the 
media and to all respondents to this notice.

    Dated: August 14, 1996.
Stephen V. Magnussen,
Acting Commissioner.

Criteria for Coordinated Long-Range Operation of Colorado River 
Reservoirs Pursuant to the Colorado River Basin Project Act of 
September 30, 1968 (Public Law 90-537)

    Criteria for coordinated long-range operation of Colorado River 
Reservoirs pursuant to the Colorado River Basin Project Act of 
September 30, 1968 (Public Law 90-537).
    These Operating Criteria are promulgated in compliance with section 
602 of Public Law 90-537. They are to control the coordinated long-
range operation of the storage reservoirs in the Colorado River Basin 
constructed under the authority of the Colorado River Storage Project 
Act (hereinafter ``Upper Basin Storage Reservoirs'') and the Boulder 
Canyon Project Act (Lake Mead). The Operating Criteria will be 
administered consistent with applicable Federal laws, the Mexican Water 
Treaty, interstate compacts, and decrees relating to the use of the 
waters of the Colorado River.
    The Secretary of the Interior (hereinafter the ``Secretary'') may 
modify the Operating Criteria from time to time in accordance with 
section 602(b) of Public Law 90-537. The Secretary will sponsor a 
formal review of the Operating Criteria at least every 5 years, with 
participation by State representatives as each Governor may designate 
and such other parties and agencies as the Secretary may deem 
appropriate.

I. Annual Report

    (1) On January 1, 1972, and on January 1 of each year thereafter, 
the Secretary shall transmit to the Congress and to the Governors of 
the Colorado River Basin States a report describing the actual 
operation under the adopted criteria for the preceding compact water 
year and the projected plan of operation for the current year.
    (2) The plan of operation shall include such detailed rules and 
quantities as may be necessary and consistent with the criteria 
contained herein, and shall reflect 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 of fish and wildlife, and 
other environmental factors. The projected plan of operation may be 
revised to reflect the current hydrologic conditions, and the Congress 
and the Governors of the Colorado River Basin States shall be advised 
of any changes by June of each year.

II. Operation of Upper Basin Reservoirs

    (1) The annual plan of operation shall include a determination by 
the Secretary of the quantity of water considered necessary as of 
September 30 of that year to be in storage as required by section 
602(a) of Public Law 90-537 (hereinafter ``602(a) Storage''). The 
quantity of 602(a) Storage shall be determined by the Secretary after 
consideration of all applicable 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 on Operating Criteria for the Colorado River,'' dated 
October 30, 1969, and such additional studies as the Secretary deems 
necessary;
    (f) The necessity to assure that upper basin consumptive uses not 
be impaired because of failure to store sufficient water to assure 
deliveries under section 602(a) (1) and (2) of Public Law 90-537.
    (2) If, in the plan of operation, either:
    (a) The Upper Basin Storage Reservoirs active storage forecast for 
September 30 of the current year is less than the quantity of 602(a) 
Storage determined by the Secretary under Article II(1) hereof, for 
that date; or
    (b) The Lake Powell active storage forecast for that date is less 
than the Lake Mead active storage forecast for that date; the objective 
shall be to maintain a minimum release of water from Lake Powell of 
8.23 million acre-feet for that year. However, for the years ending 
September 30,1971 and 1972, the release may be greater than 8.23 
million acre-feet if necessary to deliver 75 million acre-feet at Lees 
Ferry for the 10-year period ending September 30, 1972.
    (3) If, in the plan of operation, the Upper Basin Storage 
Reservoirs active storage forecast for September 30 of the current 
water year is greater than the quantity of 602(a) Storage determination 
for that date, water shall be released annually from Lake Powell at a 
rate greater than 8.23 million acre-feet per year to the extent 
necessary to accomplish any or all of the following objectives:
    (a) To the extent it can be reasonably applied in the States of the 
Lower Division to the uses specified in Article III(e) of the Colorado 
River Compact, but no such releases shall be made when the active 
storage in Lake Powell is less than the active storage in Lake Mead.
    (b) To maintain, as nearly as practicable, active storage in Lake 
Mead equal to the active storage in Lake Powell, and
    (c) To avoid anticipated spills from Lake Powell.
    (4) In the application of Article II(3)(b) herein, the annual 
release will be made to the extent that it can be passed through Glen 
Canyon Powerplant when operated at the available capacity of the 
powerplant. Any water thus retained in Lake Powell to avoid bypass of 
water at

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the Glen Canyon Powerplant will be released through the Glen Canyon 
Powerplant as soon as practicable to equalize the active storage in 
Lake Powell and Lake Mead.
    (5) Releases from Lake Powell pursuant to these criteria shall not 
prejudice the position of either the upper or lower basin interests 
with respect to required deliveries at Lees Ferry pursuant to the 
Colorado River Compact.

III. Operation of Lake Mead

    (1) Water released from Lake Powell, plus the tributary inflows 
between Lake Powell and Lake Mead, shall be regulated in Lake Mead and 
either pumped from Lake Mead or released to the Colorado River to meet 
requirements as follows:
    (a) Mexican Treaty obligations;
    (b) Reasonable consumptive use requirements of mainstream users in 
the lower basin;
    (c) Net river losses;
    (d) Net reservoir losses;
    (e) Regulatory waters.
    (2) Until such time as mainstream water is delivered by means of 
the Central Arizona Project, the consumptive use requirements of 
Article III(1)(b) of these Operating Criteria will be met.
    (3) After commencement of delivery of mainstream water by means of 
the Central Arizona Project, the consumptive use requirements of 
Article III(1)(b) of these Operating Criteria will be met to the 
following extent:
    (a) Normal. The annual pumping and release from Lake Mead will be 
sufficient to satisfy 7,500,000 acre-feet of annual consumptive use in 
accordance with the decree in Arizona v. California, 376 U.S. 340 
(1964).
    (b) Surplus. The Secretary shall determine from time to time when 
water in quantities greater than ``Normal'' is available for either 
pumping or release from Lake Mead pursuant to Article II(B)(2) of the 
decree in Arizona v. California after consideration of all relevant 
factors, including, but not limited to, the following:
    (i) The requirements stated in Article III(1) of these Operating 
Criteria;
    (ii) Requests for water by holders of water delivery contracts with 
the United States, and of other rights recognized in the decree in 
Arizona v. California;
    (iii) Actual and forecast quantities of active storage in Lake Mead 
and the Upper Basin Storage Reservoirs; and
    (iv) Estimated net inflow to Lake Mead.
    (c) Storage. The Secretary shall determine from time to time when 
insufficient mainstream water is available to satisfy annual 
consumptive use requirements of 7,500,000 acre-feet after consideration 
of all relevant factors, including, but not limited to, the following:
    (i) The requirements stated in Article III(1) of these Operating 
Criteria;
    (ii) Actual and forecast quantities of active storage in Lake Mead;
    (iii) Estimate of net inflow to Lake Mead for the current year;
    (iv) Historic streamflows, including the most critical period of 
record;
    (v) Priorities set forth in Article II(a) of the decree in Arizona 
v. California; and
    (vi) The purposes stated in Article I(1) of these Operating 
Criteria.
    The shortage provisions of Article II(B)(3) of the decree in 
Arizona v. California shall thereupon become effective and consumptive 
uses from the mainstream shall be restricted to the extent determined 
by the Secretary to be required by section 301(b) of Public Law 90-537.

IV. Definitions

    (1) In addition to the definitions in section 606 of Public Law 90-
537, the following shall also apply:
    (a) Spills, as used in Article II(3)(c) herein, means water 
released from Lake Powell which cannot be utilized for Project 
purposes, including, but not limited to, the generation of power and 
energy.
    (b) Surplus, as used in Article III(3)(b) herein, is water which 
can be used to meet consumptive use demands in the three Lower Division 
States in excess of 7,500,000 acre-feet annually. The term ``surplus'' 
as used in these Operating Criteria is not to be construed as applied 
to, being interpretive of, or in any manner having reference to the 
term ``surplus'' in the Colorado River Compact.
    (c) Net inflow to Lake Mead, as used in Article III(3) (b)(iv) and 
(c)(iii) herein, represents the annual inflow to Lake Mead in excess of 
losses from Lake Mead.
    (d) Available capability, as used in Article II(4) herein, means 
that portion of the total capacity of the powerplant that is physically 
available for generation.

[FR Doc. 96-21216 Filed 8-19-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-94-M