A Perspective on Today’s Colorado River Issues

Upper Colorado Region River

Basins

Green, Colorado and San Juan Rivers

Colorado River Basin Hydrology

• 16.5 million acre-feet (maf) allocated annually

• 13 to 14.5 maf of consumptive use annually

• 60 maf of storage • 15.1 maf average annual “natural”

inflow into Lake Powell over past 100 years

• Inflows are highly variable year-to-year

Natural FlowColorado River at Lees Ferry Gaging Station, Arizona

Water Year 1906 to 2009

Colorado River Basin Storage (as of July 20, 2010)

Current Storage Percent Full MAF Elevation

(Feet)

Lake Powell 65% 15.73 3,638

Lake Mead 40% 10.46 1,088

Total System Storage 58% 34.42 NA

State of the System (1999-2010)

WY

Unregulated inflow into Powell

% of Average

Powell and MeadStorage

maf

Powell and Mead

% Capacity

1999 109 47.59 95

2000 62 43.38 86

2001 59 39.01 78

2002 25 31.56 63

2003 52 27.73 55

2004 49 23.11 46

2005 104 27.16 54

2006 71 25.80 51

2007 70 24.43 49

2008 102 26.52 53

2009 88 26.40 53

2010* 66 24.78 49

• Inflow based on latest CBRFC forecast; storage and percent capacity based on April 2010 24-Month Study

3,400

3,450

3,500

3,550

3,600

3,650

3,700

Ele

va

tio

n (

ft)

Jan 1964 - Apr 2010

Lake Powell End of Month Elevation

April 201057% of Capacity

Sep 199995% of Capacity

Prior to 1999, Lake Powell was last at level 3,620.50 feet in April 1993.

1,000

1,025

1,050

1,075

1,100

1,125

1,150

1,175

1,200

1,225

Ele

va

tio

n (

ft)

Jan 1937 - Apr 2010

Lake Mead End of Month Elevation

Spillway Crest 1221 ft

Apr 201044% of Capacity

Sep 199995% of Capacity

Prior to 1999, Lake Mead was at level 1,098.00 feet in May 1965 during the filling of Lake Powell.

Mead reached a low of 1,088.31 feet in March 1965 during the filling of Lake Powell.

Prior to 1960, Lake Mead was at level 1,098.00 feet in May 1957 during the 1950s drought.

Mead hit its lowest level since it first filled of 1,083.49 feet in March 1956.

Colorado River Water Supply & Use

Shortage Criteria & Coordinated Operating Criteria for L. Powell & L. Mead

ROD signed in Dec. 2007

Multiple entities involved in EIS process

Tremendous assistance from stakeholders

Criteria in place till 2026

Glen Canyon Adaptive Management Program

State-of-the-art process

Diverse stakeholder groups

Independent review panels

Recommendations to the Secretary

Glen Canyon High Flow Test

We’ve begun a

process to create

High Flow Protocols

Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Program

Salinity damage totals nearly $330 million per year in U.S.

Projects prevent more than 550,000 tons of salt from entering Colorado River each year

Colorado RiverEndangered Fish Species

Bonytail (Gila elegans) Colorado Pikeminnow (Ptycheilus lucius)

Humpback Chub (Gila cypha) Razorback Sucker (Xyrauchen texanus)

Endangered Fish Recovery Programs

Programs in the Upper Colorado River and San Juan River

Enables water development to proceed in compliance with ESA

Questions/Discussion