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<br />WATER YEAR 1999 OPERATIONS <br /> <br />Green Mountain Reservoir <br /> <br />Green Mountain Reservoir and Power plant, completed in 1943, are located on the Blue River on <br />Colorado's west slope. The reservoir, with a total capacity of 154,645 acre-feet, provides storage <br />for power production, replacement of out of priority depletions, and contract water deliveries. <br /> <br />The power plant has two units with a total installed capacity of 26 megawatts. The spillway <br />located on the left abutment is controlled by three 25 x 22 foot radial gates and has a total release <br />capability of 25,000 fe/so <br /> <br />Reservoir storage coming into water year 1999 was high at 129,300 acre-feet, compared to an <br />average September 30 storage of 124,800 acre-feet. <br /> <br />Colorado River native flows were above average during October averaging 1,434 ft3/S at the <br />Dotsero gage. This flow was adequate to meet downstream water user demands and resulted in no <br />need for natural flow shortage releases from Green Mountain Reservoir to meet the needs at the <br />Cameo gage during October. Turbine releases averaged 578 ft3fs during October. <br /> <br />The turbines were set at 450 to 500 ft3/s during November. Winter turbine releases (December <br />through January) averaged 388 fefs to meet replacement requirements, bypass of inflow, power <br />production, and the desired end-of-January storage position. <br /> <br />The end of January storage for Dillon Reservoir was 237,879 acre-feet, 2,294 acre-feet lower than <br />the previous year and 106 percent of average (223,400 acre-feet). <br /> <br />The October-January precipitation was much above average at 113 percent of the 1966-1995 <br />average, and the February 1 snow-pack data was recorded at 102 percent of average. <br /> <br />8 <br /> <br /> <br />The February 1 forecast of the April-July runoff volume totaled 295,000 acre-feet, which was 106 <br />percent of average. Reservoir storage continued close to plan during February, and releases <br />averaged 253 ft3/s. Precipitation for February was average at 103 percent of the 1966-1995 <br />average. <br /> <br />Snowfall remained less than average in March at 92 percent of average and precipitation was 60 <br />percent of average. March inflow was 120 percent of average. Turbine releases were decreased to <br />100 fe /s during March due to the drought like conditions. <br /> <br />During April, the snow-pack increased slightly to 105 percent, and the April-July water supply <br />forecast was 280,000 acre-feet, which was 108 percent of average. Precipitation had jumped to <br />153 percent average, yet April inflows were low at 87 percent of average. Once precipitation <br />started the last week of April, conditions changed. On April 22, 1999, we declared a start of fill, <br />yet left the release at a bare minimum of 100 ft3/S for the months of March, April, and May. In <br />