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<br />n;,l'! <br />_ J J__ <br /> <br />Department of Justice has requested that Interior agencies formulate a quantification of this right <br />that is supported Department-wide. <br /> <br />Aspinall Unit Facility Statistics <br /> <br /> Blue Mesa Morrow Point Crystal <br />Capacities (at) <br />Dead 111 ,200 165 7,700 <br />Inacti ve 81,070 74,905 4,650 <br />Acti ve 748,430 42,120 12,890 <br />Live 829,500 117 ,025 17,540 <br />Total 940,700 117,190 25,240 <br />Elevation range (ft) <br />Dead 7186-7358 6747-6808 6547-6670 <br />Inacti ve 7358-7393 6808-7100 6670-6700 <br />Active 7393-7519.4 7100- 7160 6700-6755 <br />Total 7l86-7519.4 6747-7160 6547-6755 <br />Outlet capacity (cfS)1 <br />Powerplants (max.) 2,600-3,400 4,800 1,900 <br />Bypass 4,000-5,100 1,500-1,600 1,900-2,100 <br />Spillway 34,000 41,000 41,350 <br /> <br />1 Capacities vary with reservoir elevations, <br /> <br />Hydrology <br /> <br />The Gunnison River originates where the East and Taylor Rivers join in Gunnison County. From <br />that point, the river flows 25 miles to Blue Mesa Reservoir and on through Morrow Point and <br />Crystal Reservoirs. From Crystal Reservoir, it flows approximately 2 miles to the Gunnison <br />Tunnel. From the Gunnison Tunnel, the river flows 29 miles to the North Fork confluence. It <br />then travels 75 miles to its confluence with the Colorado River at Grand Junction, Colorado. <br />About 40 percent of the annual flow of the Colorado River at the Colorado-Utah state line comes <br />from the Gunnison River. <br /> <br />The area of the watershed that flows into the Aspinall Unit is approximately 4,000 square miles. <br />At the U. S. Geological Survey gage (tunnel gage) in the National Park, historical average annual <br />flows have been 1,320 cfs for the entire period of record; daily flow extremes ranged from a few <br />days of no flows to 19,000 cfs, both before the Unit was constructed. These ranges have been <br />moderated under Unit operations. Another important measurement point on the river is the <br /> <br />3 <br />