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<br />To conserve water for later use, an
<br />operational target is to fill Blue Mesa by the
<br />end of July. This corresponds to a live
<br />storage of 829,500 acre-feet at elevation
<br />7,519.4 (see physical data below). Another
<br />operational target is to draw Blue Mesa down
<br />to an elevation of 7,490 feet (approximately
<br />581,000 acre-feet of live storage) by
<br />December 31. This is necessary to provide
<br />space to store the next spring's runoff and to
<br />avoid ice damage upstream from Blue Mesa
<br />Reservoir,
<br />
<br />Blue Mesa Reservoir
<br />TotalCapacity, ............ ........940,700 acre-feet
<br />from elevation 7,186.0 to 7,519.4
<br />(includes active, inactive, and dead storage)
<br />LiveStorage....... ......... .......829,500 acre-feet
<br />from elevation 7,358.0 to 7,519.4
<br />(excludes dead storage)
<br />ActiveStorage. ......... ...........748,570 acre-feet
<br />from elevation 7,393.0 to 7,519.4
<br />(excludes inactive and dead storage)
<br />Inactive storage.................. 81 ,070 acre-feet
<br />from elevation 7,358.0 and 7,393.0
<br />(excludes active and dead storage)
<br />Dead Storage.....................l11,200 acre-feet
<br />from elevation 7,186.0 to 7,358.0
<br />(storage below outlet)
<br />Powerplant release. ........... .......up to 4,000 cfs
<br />River outlet release..... up to 5,000 d.
<br />Spillway release....................up to 34,000 Cf5
<br />
<br />Morrow Point Reservoir
<br />Total Capacity.................... 117,190 acre-feet
<br />Active Storage................,... .42,120 acre-feet
<br />Powerplant release...... ......... ....up to 5,000 cls
<br />River outlet release................. up to 1,500 ds
<br />Spillway release....................up to 41,000 ds
<br />
<br />Crvstal Reservoir
<br />Total Capacity.....................25,300 acre-feet
<br />Active Storage............ .........17,500 acre-feet
<br />Powerplantrelease...................up to 2,030 cfs
<br />River outlet release.................up to 2,100 d's
<br />Spillway release....................up to 41,350 cfs
<br />
<br />The Gunnison River receives all water
<br />released from Crystal Dam through the
<br />powerplant and river outlets (up to 2,030 and
<br />2,100 cfs, respectively). The only diversion
<br />
<br />of the releases before the Monument and the
<br />Gunnison Gorge are through the Gunnison
<br />Tunnel (Tunnel) of the Uncompahgre Project,
<br />which is physically capable of diverting up to
<br />1,135 cfs under pre-Monument and pre-
<br />Aspinall water rights. When releasing water
<br />to meet any purpose, Reclamation has
<br />historically minimized use of the non-power
<br />generating river outlet (and the spillway) to
<br />discharge water.
<br />
<br />Minimum Instream Flows
<br />
<br />When operation of Blue Mesa Dam began
<br />in 1965, minimum flows of 100 cfs through
<br />the Monument were provided. With
<br />construction of Crystal Dam and Reservoir in
<br />1976, Reclamation increased these releases to
<br />200 cfs, On the basis of in stream flow studies
<br />for the Gold Medal trout fisheries,
<br />Reclamation increased minimum releases in
<br />1985. Since that time, Reclamation's goal has
<br />been to maintain at least 300 cfs through the
<br />Monument, except during extreme drought or
<br />emergencies. Because of natural flow
<br />conditions and senior water right diversions,
<br />water stored in Blue Mesa has been used to
<br />guarantee the minimum flow.
<br />
<br />Ploposed Ddi,,," i"" lu lh" r.luuuUI,,"l
<br />
<br />Under the proposed contract, a portion of
<br />the water stored in Blue Mesa Reservoir
<br />would be released from the Aspinall Unit for
<br />delivery to the Monument. Flows exceeding
<br />the capacity of the power outlet at Crystal
<br />Reservoir would require increased use of the
<br />river outlet. All deliveries would be
<br />measured at the existing streamflow gage
<br />located downstream from the Gunnison Tunnel
<br />diversion and would be protected from
<br />diversion.
<br />
<br />The amount delivered annually would vary
<br />due to natural variability of inflow to Blue
<br />Mesa. In addition, storage water would be set
<br />aside for other uses both upstream and
<br />downstream from Blue Mesa Reservoir.
<br />
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