The Colorado River Basin States Offer Alternative for the Bureau of Reclamation to Consider

On January 31, 2023, six of the seven Colorado River Basin States (California declined to join) issued a letter in response to the Bureau of Reclamation's Notice of Intent to Prepare a Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement.  The letter outlines a consensus alternative for the Bureau to evaluate as it seeks to revise the current operating criteria for Lake Powell and Lake Mead.

Highlights include:

Lake Powell 

• Operated to protect elevation 3500'
• Fixed and reduced releases from Glen Canyon Dam at various elevations, with additional reductions as necessary to protect 3500'
• Possible additional Drought Response releases of up to 500,000 acre-feet (AF) (including recovery) in accordance with the Drought Response Operations Agreement
• Additional Upper Basin voluntary conservation activities (unquantified) that take into account hydrologic shortage in the Upper Division States

Lake Mead

• Operated to protect elevation 1000'
• Assessment of more than 1.5 million acre-feet (MAF) of "Infrastructure Protection Volumes" (a.k.a. evaporation and system losses) against the Lower Basin users
• Total reductions to Arizona, California, Nevada, and Mexico of 1.375 MAF at Lake Mead elevation 1050'
• Additional combined reductions of 250,000 AF to Arizona, California and Nevada at Lake Mead elevation 1030' or below
• Additional combined reductions of 200,000 AF to Arizona, California and Nevada at Lake Mead elevation 1020' or below
• Additional reductions as necessary to protect elevation 1000'