WSPP282

• File Number: 8240.200.39.C
• Description: Colorado River Threatened-Endangered - RIPRAP - CFOPS - Water Availability
• State: CO
• Basin: Colorado Mainstem
• Water Division: 5
• Date: 3/1/2003
• Author: Brown and Caldwell
• Title: Phase 2 Coordinated Facilities Water Availability Study for the Endangered Fishes of the Upper Colorado River - Tech Memo Number 12 - Comments-Responses to 01-01-03 - Draft - 03-01-03
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Report/Study

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. Bypassed diversions to storage would not be administered toward a paper fill of the
reservoir, but would be administered in Division 5 only, and under the PBO, as a
regulatory bypass that would not count against the fill of the reservoir.

These matters were discussed with the State Engineer a ames Lochhead personal communication with
Hal Simpson, February 15, 2000) with the following outcome:

. These three potential administration policies could be further analyzed and included in
modeling studies. The effect of change in administration and using a junior refill right
could be modeled by assigning a junior priority date to the particular facility one day
junior to the applicable storage right. The facility will then continue its fill under that
right after the primary storage right has been accounted as "full." The sensitivity
analysis will be made by comparing this operation to a model run without the assigned
junior priority.

. The various alternatives that involve bypassing diversions to storage could also be
modeled with the alternative policies detailed above to determine the effects of the
alternative policies on other water rights and facility operations. Where possible, the
costs associated with these effects could be estimated.

. The results of these investigations and modeling studies could then be considered
further by the State Engineer in developing the administration policy that will be used
for bypassed diversions.

This matter of how bypassed diversions to storage will be administered has not been resolved in Phase
2. Full resolution of these matters is outside the scope of Phase 2 of the Coordinated Facilities
Operations Study.

2.2.2 No Restrictions on Alternatives Investigated

In the Phase 1 investigation, consideration of all alternatives was permitted; no alternatives were
summarily eliminated from investigation solely because of stakeholder opposition.

The focus of the alternatives is primarily on the re-operation of water management and storage
facilities located within the Upper Colorado River Basin, the inter-related hydropower operations of
east and west slope facilities, and the construction of new facilities, in order to determine the feasibility
of obtaining water for the endangered fishes from these sources in accordance with the original scope
of work for this investigation (Colorado Water Conservation Board, October 2,1998). Improved
conveyance facilities and efficiencies were considered with respect to canals, but actual on-farm
. practices were not considered as an alternative to be investigated by this study.

P:\Data \GEN\CWCB\19665\Report Phase 2\FinalReport12.02\Finat Draft _ Report(l-03).doc

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