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The Colorado River: Interim Guidelines for Lake Powell and Lake Mead

The Colorado River: Interim Guidelines for Lake Powell and Lake Mead National Integrated Drought Information System Workshop October 1, 2008. Colorado River Basin. Operation governed by the “Law of the River” including: Colorado River Compact (1922) Boulder Canyon Project Act (1928)

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The Colorado River: Interim Guidelines for Lake Powell and Lake Mead

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  1. The Colorado River: Interim Guidelines for Lake Powell and Lake Mead National Integrated Drought Information System Workshop October 1, 2008

  2. Colorado River Basin • Operation governed by the “Law of the River” including: • Colorado River Compact (1922) • Boulder Canyon Project Act (1928) • U.S. Mexican Water Treaty (1944) • Colorado River Storage Project (1956) • Supreme Court Consolidated Decree (1964 and following) • Colorado River Basin Project Act (1968) • System operated on a “tight margin” • Variable hydrology • Large amount of storage capacity

  3. Spatial Resolution/ Time Horizon Operational Activity Decisions Long-term Planning Basin-wide over decades Operating Criteria and Guidelines Mid-term Operations Basin-wide over 1-2 years Annual Operating Plan Water and Power Schedules Sub-basin over 4-6 weeks Short-term Scheduling Unit Commitment Economic Dispatch Real-time Control Single project over 1-7 days Automatic Generation and Control

  4. In 2004, five years of unprecedented drought, coupled with increased water use, led to increased tensions among the Basin States There had never been a shortage in the Lower Basin and there were no shortage guidelines Operations between Lake Powell and Lake Mead were coordinated only at the higher reservoir levels (through “equalization”) Impetus for the Interim Guidelines

  5. Interim Guidelines1 - A Robust Solution Operations specified through the full range of operation for Lake Powell and Lake Mead Encourage efficient and flexible water use and management in the Lower Basin through the Intentionally Created Surplus (ICS) mechanism Strategy for shortages in the Lower Basin2, including a provision for additional shortages if warranted In place for an interim period (through 2026) to gain valuable operational experience Basin States agree to consult before resorting to litigation • Issued in Record of Decision, dated December 13, 2007; available at http://www.usbr.gov/lc/region/programs/strategies.html • Mexico water deliveries are not directly effected by these guidelines

  6. Lake Powell & Lake MeadOperational Diagrams 1 Subject to April adjustments that may result in balancing releases or releases according to the Equalization Tier. 2 These are amounts of shortage (i.e., reduced deliveries in the United States). 3 If Lake Mead falls below elevation 1,025 ft msl, the Department will initiate efforts to develop additional guidelines for shortages at lower Lake Mead elevations.

  7. Colorado River Basin Storage(as of September 29, 2008) *Total system storage was 32.10 maf or 54% this time last year

  8. Lake Powell Capacity 3,700 ft 24.3 maf Equalization Tier 72 ft 3,636 ft Equalization Elevation (WY 2008) Upper Elevation Balancing Tier 8 ft 3,627 ft 14.53 maf (60% of Live Capacity) 3,575 ft Mid-Elevation Release Tier 138 ft 3,525 ft Lower Elevation Balancing Tier 3,490 ft Min Power Pool Inactive Pool (4.0 maf) Dead Pool Elevation 3,370 ft Dead Pool (1.9 maf) As of Sep 29, 2008 Not to scale

  9. Lake Mead Capacity 1,219.6 ft 25.9 maf Surplus Conditions 115 ft 15.9 maf 1,145 ft Normal or ICS Surplus Conditions 1,106 ft 12.00 maf (46% of Live Capacity) 55 ft 1,075 ft Shortage Conditions Min Power Pool 1,050 ft Inactive Pool (7.5 maf) Lower SNWA Intake 1,000 ft Dead Pool Elevation 895 ft Dead Pool (2.0 maf) As of Sep 29, 2008 Not to scale

  10. The Colorado River: Interim Guidelines for Lake Powell and Lake Mead For further information: http://www.usbr.gov/lc/region

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