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<br />003J78 <br /> <br />Page 2 <br /> <br />1999 CWCS Ruedi Report <br /> <br />In January 1999, Reclamation accepted an amended biological opinion for the Ruedi Reservoir <br />Round U.water marketing program. Under the amended opinion, Reclamation continued the <br />5,000 and 5,000 acft commitments, and made up to 21,650 additional acft available in 1999, <br />through a one-year agreement. <br /> <br />Reclamation has released the 10,000 acft (5,000 + 5,000 acft) of water for the endangered fish in <br />each year beginning with 1989, and continuing through 1999, except in 1993, 1995 and 1997. <br />Sufficient natural flows existed in 1993, 1995 and 1997 so that no releases for endangered fish <br />were necessary these years. In 1991 and continuing through 1995, Reclamation, the Service and <br />the Board executed an agreement to release an additional 10,000 acft of water, for a total of <br />20,000 acft for the endangered fish. <br /> <br />In 1998 and 1999, an annual MOA was executed to release an additional 21,650 acft of water for <br />a total of 31 ,650 acft for the endangered fish. <br /> <br />Storage Contents and Ruedi Reservoir Release Rates for Endangered Fish <br /> <br />Due to the generally average or wetter conditions in the basin, the Service set target flows for the <br />15 Mile Reach at 1,240 cfs for water year 1999, and initially requested releases for endangered <br />fish on September 1. Releases to the Fryingpan above the minimum release requirement of <br />inflow or 110 cfs, whichever is less, were credited against fish releases. Through September, <br />flows in the Fryingpan were maintained at or below 250 cfs. Without the endangered fish <br />releases, flows in the Fryingpan would have been reduced to 110 cfs during this month. The <br />first 5,000 acft of water for endangered fish was released by September 19, and a total of7,856 <br />acft were released for the benefit of the endangered fish by the end of the month. <br /> <br />Releases for endangered fish continued through October and were increased to approximately <br />300 cfs beginning October 13. Flows remained at that level until the end of the month. Without <br />releases for endangered fish, flows in the Fryingpan would have averaged 80 cfs during October, <br />with a low flow of 44 cfs on the 31 SI. The second 5,000 acft for the endangered fish had been <br />released by Oct. 9. A total of 11,797 acft were released for the benefit ofthe endangered fish by <br />the end of the month. <br /> <br />Releases for the endangered fish dropped to approximately 200 cfs on November 1, and ceased <br />on November 2. Releases for endangered fish totaled 748 acft in November. The total amount <br />released for the benefit of the endangered fish through the season was 20,401 acft. (The attached <br />table details the releases on a daily basis.) <br /> <br />The reservoir reached maximum storage capacity the last week of July, 1999. Reservoir content <br />on September 5 was just over 99,000 acft, well above the Labor Day target of 85,000 acft. By <br />November 2, the last day of fish releases, the gross content of the reservoir was 82,290 acft. <br /> <br />Impacts to Recreational Use and Facilities <br /> <br />Endangered fish releases do not appear to have significant impacts on either long- or short-term <br />recreation activities and experiences from Ruedi Reservoir to the 15 Mile Reach, with the <br />