Opinion ID: 1087983
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: The following provisions are effective for the operation of Glendo Dam and Reservoir:

Text: (a) The operation of the Glendo Project shall not impose any demand on areas at or above Seminoe Reservoir which will prejudice any rights that the States of Colorado or Wyoming might have to secure a modification of the Modified Decree permitting an expansion of water uses in the natural basin of the North Platte River in Colorado or above Seminoe Reservoir in Wyoming. (b) The operation of Glendo Reservoir shall not affect the regime of the natural flow of the North Platte River except that not more than 40,000 acre-feet of the natural flow of the North Platte River and its tributaries which cannot be stored in upstream reservoirs under the provisions of this Modified Decree may be stored in Glendo Reservoir during any water year for disposition by the United States under contracts, in addition to evaporation losses on such storage, and further, the amount of water that may be held in storage at any one time for disposition by the United States under contracts, including carryover storage, shall never exceed 100,000 acre-feet. Such storage water shall be disposed of in accordance with contracts executed or to be hereafter executed, in compliance with federal law, and may be used for any beneficial purpose in Nebraska within the Platte River basin to the extent of 25,000 acre-feet annually and for any beneficial purpose in Wyoming within the Platte River basin to the extent of 15,000 acre-feet annually. The above limitation on the amount of storage of natural flow does not apply: (1) to flood water which may be temporarily stored in any capacity allocated for flood control in Glendo Reservoir; (2) to water originally stored in Pathfinder Reservoir which may be temporarily re-stored in Glendo Reservoir after its release from Pathfinder and before its delivery pursuant to contract; (3) to Inland Lakes account water temporarily stored in accordance with this Court's Order of April 20, 1993; (4) to water which may be impounded behind Glendo Dam, as provided in the Bureau of Reclamation Definite Plan Report for the Glendo Unit, Wyoming, dated December 1952, as revised through December 1959 (Glendo Definite Plan Report) for the purpose of creating a head for the development of water power; or (5) to water in Glendo Reservoir used for the purposes described in paragraph XVII(g). (c) Each State may substitute or supplement quantities of storage water obtained under other contractual arrangements with Glendo Reservoir storage supplies. Subject to contractual arrangements with the United States Bureau of Reclamation, including any required compliance with the Endangered Species Act, 16 U. S. C. § 1531 et seq., and the National Environmental Policy Act, 42 U. S. C. § 4321 et seq., each State shall also enjoy unrestricted use of its respective storage allocation in Glendo Reservoir, so long as the use is below Glendo Reservoir and within the Platte River basin. (d) Glendo Reservoir storage water may be consumptively used in Wyoming by exchange or other means, upstream of Glendo Reservoir under the terms of this paragraph. For every two acre-feet of Glendo storage water diverted upstream of Glendo Reservoir pursuant to such an exchange, all of which may be fully consumed, an additional acre-foot of Wyoming's Glendo storage allocation shall be contracted at the same time for storage and release from Glendo Reservoir and passed through Guernsey Reservoir to the North Platte River. Except as may be modified in accordance with paragraph XVII(e), or by agreement of the parties, such additional water shall be released from the reservoir at the same time and at a rate proportionate to the diversion of the water contracted for use upstream from Glendo Reservoir during the irrigation season. During the nonirrigation season, due to operational constraints of the outlets at Guernsey Reservoir, such additional water will be held in the Glendo account and released prior to the first of May as may be operationally practical. Except as provided in paragraph XVII(e), once released, such additional water shall be considered natural flow water for purposes of the 75/25 apportionment specified in paragraph V. (e) If the valid exercise or enforcement of federal law or authority requires Wyoming or a water user within Wyoming to cause the release of a portion of Wyoming's Glendo allocation for environmental purposes downstream of Glendo Reservoir, the additional water contracted and released under paragraph XVII(d) may be dedicated to and used for that purpose. Any water released pursuant to such requirement shall not be considered natural flow but shall be administered and protected as storage water in accordance with state law within both Wyoming and Nebraska until used for its intended purposes. (f) Storage water in Glendo Reservoir from either State's allocation may be used for fish and wildlife purposes downstream of Glendo Reservoir under contractual arrangements with the United States Bureau of Reclamation, subject to approval of Wyoming for contracts for water from Wyoming's storage allocation and subject to approval of Nebraska for contracts for water from Nebraska's storage allocation. Any water released pursuant to such agreement shall not be considered natural flow but shall be administered and protected as storage water in accordance with state law within both Wyoming and Nebraska until used for its intended purposes. (g) The United States Bureau of Reclamation has the discretion to hold water in Glendo Reservoir in excess of the limitations stated in paragraph XVII(b) in accordance with the operation of the reregulation space in Glendo Reservoir under Permit No. 5998 Res. and Certificate of Construction of Reservoir, as clarified by Order of the Wyoming State Board of Control dated November 29, 2000. Such water may be used, subject to federal law, for the following purposes:
(1) line state in excess of the amount ordered by canals with storage contracts below the Wyoming-Nebraska state line as the unintended result of physical limitations on the ability to control water deliveries;
(2) of Pathfinder counts Reservoir, Guernsey Reservoir, Seminoe Reservoir, Alcova Reservoir, and Glendo Reservoir; and (3) to supplement the natural flow that is available for apportionment pursuant to paragraph V. XVIII. The creation of the North Platte Decree Committee is hereby approved and ratified. Procedures that have been approved and adopted in the Final Settlement Stipulation may be modified from time to time by the North Platte Decree Committee if the modifications are consistent with the Modified Decree. In the event of a conflict between any procedure, the Final Settlement Stipulation and the Modified Decree, the provisions of this Modified Decree shall control.