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been lost due to the experimental flows at Glen Canyon Dam. These fluctuations will vary daily depending on power market conditions but are limited to a peak of 2000 cfs for a maximum duration of 4 hours each day. Minimum flows will remain at the current level which has been about 850 cfs. The additional releases are limited to 5000 acre-feet for the month of January which could impact the reservoir elevation by 1-2 inches. The Colorado Basin River Forecast Center (CBRFC) has updated the coordinated water supply forecast for Water Year 2004. The official forecast for Flaming Gorge Reservoir has this years unregulated inflow volume for April through July at 880,000 acre-feet (74% of normal). This reflects a 50,000 acre-foot decrease from January's forecast. Snow conditions above Flaming Gorge decreased somewhat during January. On January 13th the snowpack above Flaming Gorge measured 96% of normal. As of February 9th, the snowpack was 89% of normal. The snowpack building season is about 67% complete for Water Year 2004. Based on the forecast, Flaming Gorge Reservoir will likely see some filling occur during the spring runoff. By March 1st, the reservoir elevation will likely see its low point for the year at about 6008.6 feet above sea level. By the end of July, the reservoir elevation potentially could rise about 9 feet from this level depending on the accuracy ofthe current forecast and the level of releases established during the runoff period. The next "Flaming Gorge Working Group" meeting is to be held on April 15th, 2004 in Vernal, Utah at 10:00 a.m. at the Western Park Convention Center. The Working Group a forum for information exchange between Reclamation and all other parties associated with the operation of Flaming Gorge Reservoir. The public is encouraged to attend and express their concerns and interests with regard to the operation of Flaming Gorge Reservoir. For more information about the Working Group please contact Ed Vidmar at 801-379-1182. ASPINALL - January unregulated inflow into Blue Mesa Reservoir was 21,000 acre-feet or 83 percent of average. Drought conditions still remain the controlling factor for water management throughout the region, even though we have had a fairly good start to the snowpack building season. Recorded precipitation during the month of December was 105 percent of normal; however January precipitation was below normal. On February 10, 2004 the basin snowpack was averaging 101 percent. The current inflow rate into Blue Mesa Reservoir is about 300 cfs and reservoir releases are averaging about 225 cfs. Blue Mesa's present elevation is 7462.26 feet, which corresponds to a storage content of about 385,000 acre-feet. Releases from Crystal Dam are currently set at 325 cfs. The Gunnison Diversion Tunnel has been shut down for the winter season with the exception of some small 1 00 cfs diversions taken bi-weekly for the municipal water needs for the city of Montrose, Colorado. Due to the severity of the continuing drought in the Gunnison River Basin, river flows through the Black Canyon of the Gunnison have been set close to the minimum flow rate of 300 cfs. On February 4,2004, the National Weather Service's River Forecast Center issued the forecasted inflow for the April through July runoff period. The forecast is projecting a volume runoff into Blue Mesa Reservoir of 630,000 acre-feet. This represents an 88 percent of average runoff for this time period. Based on this forecast, Blue Mesa Reservoir is estimated to be near full or elevation 7516.4 feet by the end of the runoff period during the month of July 2004.