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<br />SUMMARY OF 1999 OPERATIONS <br /> <br />Water year 1999 runoff was above average throughout the Colorado-Big Thompson Project <br />(Project) varying from 103 percent of average for the inflow into Willow Creek Reservoir to 133 <br />percent of average for the inflow into Lake Estes. <br /> <br />Peak inflows to reservoirs within the Project occurred in mid June, with the exception of Willow <br />Creek Reservoir, which peaked on May 30 at 701 ft3/s. The inflows into Green Mountain <br />Reservoir and Lake Estes peaked on June 24 at 2,809 ft3/s and 943 ft3/s, respectively. Inflows <br />into Lake Granby peaked on June 28 at 2,548 fe/s. <br /> <br />The maximum release at Green Mountain Reservoir was 1,523 ft3 Is on June 26. A total volume <br />of 1,900 acre-feet was spilled at Green Mountain Reservoir during water year 1999. River <br />releases from Willow Creek Reservoir and Lake Granby were higher than the minimum flows <br />required for fish habitat. Willow Creek Reservoir bypassed 17,054 acre-feet and Lake Granby <br />spilled 48,400 acre-feet during water year 1999. The Lake Granby spill was the sixth highest of <br />record since records began in 1962. The river release at Willow Creek Reservoir peaked at 710 <br />ft3 Is on May 30, and the river release from Lake Granby peaked at 1,287 fe Is for a daily average <br />on June 30. The peak flow of 3,100 ft3/s was observed on June 22. The maximum release at <br />Lake Estes was 1,059 ft3 / s on June 16. Project water deliveries peaked on July 15 at 348 fels <br />at Horsetooth Reservoir and 393 ft3/s on August 29 at Carter Lake. The maximum project <br />delivery of 435 fe/s occurred on June 30 to the Big Thompson River. <br /> <br />Water year 1999 precipitation totals for October-September were much above average and <br />ranged from 105 percent of average for the Willow Creek and Lake Granby watersheds to 149 <br />percent of average for the Lake Estes and St. Vrain watersheds. <br /> <br />Winter precipitation (October-January) on the Project was much above average at 127 percent of <br />average. Green Mountain Dam during January received 1.96 inches of precipitation, which was <br />170 percent of average. The Eastern Slope of the Project was above average too. During <br />January, the Lake Estes and St. Vrain watersheds received 1.28 inches of precipitation, which <br />was 200 percent of average. January 1 snow-pack totals were 72 percent of average for the <br />Upper Colorado Basin and 83 percent of average for the South Platte Basin. February 1 snow- <br />pack totals were also very average from 105 percent for the Willow Creek watershed to 91 <br />percent for the St. Vrain watershed. <br /> <br />February temperatures over the Project were warmer than average. February precipitation was <br />much below normal ranging from 18 percent of average for the Poudre watershed to 103 percent <br />of average for the Green Mountain watershed. <br /> <br />March 1 snow-pack was 98 percent of the 1966 - 1995 average throughout the Project. March <br />was fairly typical with rain, wet snow, some sunny weather, warm days, cold days, and plenty of <br />wind. Precipitation for March was well below normal over the project. The Willow Creek and <br />Lake Granby watersheds were the lowest at 35 percent of average. The Green Mountain <br />watershed was the highest at 60 percent of average. Temperatures over the Region were warmer <br />