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<br />irrigation demands, the GVWUA reduced the diversion to 1,480 cfs on September 3, and to <br />1,440 cfs in early October. On October 27, OMID shut off their irrigation system for the season, <br />followed by GVWUA on November 5, and GVIC on November 6. The Orchard Mesa Check <br />was not used during 1999. <br /> <br />15 Mile Reach Flows (also see Table I and Figure 3) <br /> <br />Figure 3 shows the USGS gaged flows in the 15 Mile Reach during the augmentation period, and <br />an estimate of what flows would have been without releases from the participating reservoirs. <br />The average flow in the 15 Mile Reach during the augmentation period of September I through <br />November 2 was 1,797 cfs, or 167 cfs above the mean montWy target flow of 1,630 cfs. The <br />average flow in the reach during September was 1,752 cfs, and the mean monthly flow for <br />October was 1,817 cfs, Daily average flows in the 15 Mile Reach dropped below the 1,630 cfs <br />target on 16 days during the augmentation period. Without the reservoir releases, the estimated <br />average for this period would have dropped to 1,175 cfs (455 cfs below the target), and flows <br />below 1,630 cfs would probably have occurred on 59 out of63 days. <br /> <br />During a conference call on December 14,1999, the Fish and Wildlife Service thanked the <br />participants for their efforts in maintaining flows at the recommended level. Flows were good in <br />1999, and provided ample backwater habitat for stocking endangered fish. This year, the Service <br />stocked approximately 10,000 four- to eight-inch razorbacks in the Gunnison and Colorado <br />Rivers. About 5,000 of the fish were stocked in the Colorado River near Rulison in late <br />September and early October. A detailed report on the benefits of the reservoir releases to <br />endangered fish is provided annually to the CWCB by the Service. <br /> <br />Coordination Efforts to Lower River Flows in November <br /> <br />In October, Public Service Company of Colorado notified the Division 5 staff that they had <br />scheduled maintenance for the Shoshone Power Plant beginning November 8. Their <br />maintenance would involve work in the river at the dam for several weeks, and keeping river <br />flows at about 1,000 to 1,200 cfs at Dotsero would be helpful. Flows at Dotsero had been <br />averaging 1,940 over the past month. Staff from the Shoshone Power Plant participated in <br />conference calls on October 21 and October 27. The group agreed to reduce reservoir releases by <br />790 cfs the first week of November, and scheduled this to correspond with irrigation diversions <br />in the Grand Valley shutting off that week. This coordination resulted in lowered flows at <br />Dotsero, but no reduction in flows in the 15 Mile Reach. <br /> <br />1999 Late Summer/Fall Operation5 <br /> <br />HUP Managing Entitie5 & Water Managers <br /> <br />- 5- <br />