WSP12932

• File Number: 8282.600.40
• Description: Colorado River AOP Status Report
• Basin: Colorado Mainstem
• Author: USDOI/BOR
• Title: Colorado River Reservoir Operations Status Reports Partial Part 1 2004
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Data

Date: April 12, 2004

From:

Water Resource Group, Salt Lake City

To:

All Colorado River Annual Operating Plan (AOP) Recipients

Current Status

March
inflow (unreg)
(Acre-Feet)

Percent
of normal

Midnight
April 11
Elevation

Reservoir
Storage
(Acre-Feet)

Fontenelle
Flaming Gorge
Blue Mesa
Powell
Navajo

23,000
33,000
20,000
245,000
23,000

79
70
88
58
77

6482.85
6009.79
7470.60
3583.02
6010.79

183,000
2,634,000
440,000
10,200,000
829,000

Expected Operation

FONTENELLE - The current elevation of Fontenelle Reservoir is 6483.07 feet above sea level.
Releases are steady at about 750 cfs and the inflows are averaging about 1500 cfs.

Snowpack conditions above Fontenelle decreased significantly during the month of March. As of
March 1st, 2004 the snowpack above Fontenelle Reservoir measured 88.2% of normal. As of April
1 st, the snowpack measured 74.5% of normal and as of April 13th the snowpack now measures 62.7%
of normal. The snowpack building season is nearly complete for 2004.

The Colorado Basin River Forecast Center (CBRFC) has updated the 2004 Water Supply Forecast
for Fontenelle to 500,000 acre-feet (58% of normal) for the period from April through July. This is
down 125,000 acre-feet from on month ago. It is still very likely that Fontenelle Reservoir will fill
during the summer of2004. The reservoir elevation is currently 6483.07 feet above sea level and
increasing. Releases are currently near 750 cfs and will likely be increased to about powerplant
capacity (~1500 cfs) by the end of April. By late July Fontenelle will be very nearly full depending
on how much inflow Fontenelle receives over the next 4 month.

Open forum discussions on Fontenelle operations take place at the "Fontenelle Reservoir Working
Group" meetings. The Working Group is a forum for information exchange between Reclamation
and other parties associated with the operation ofFontenelle Reservoir. The public is encouraged to
attend and express their concerns and interests with regard to Fontenelle Reservoir operation. The
next Working Group meeting is scheduled for April 14th, 2004 at 10:00 a.m. and will at the
Wyoming Fish and Game office located in Green River Wyoming. For more information about the
Working Group, contact Ed Vidmar at 801-379-1182.