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each day (from about 11 :00 am until about 8:00 pm), and the 5,000 cfs releases being maintained for about 8 hours (from about 1:00 am until about 9:00 am). The remainder of the hours were transitional, where releases were between the daily high and the daily low. Beginning February 4, 2004 the high fluctuating release pattern is being adjusted. On Mondays through Saturdays, releases will again vary between 5,000 cfs and 20,000 cfs but the 20,000 cfs release will be maintained for about 11 hours (from 9:00 am until about 8:00 pm) and the 5,000 cfs release will be maintained for about 6 hours (from 1:00 am until about 7:00 am). Releases on Sundays will range between a low of about 5,000 cfs to a high of about 8,000 cfs. The January through March high fluctuating releases are intended to benefit the endangered humpback chub. Scientists have recognized that the humpback chub population has been in general decline since highly fluctuating flows were curtailed in November of 1991. Those flows helped keep the non-native fish, especially the rainbow and brown trout, in check. The trout are thought to prey upon and compete with native fish such as the endangered humpback chub. This is the second year of high fluctuating releases as part of the experimental flows. High fluctuating releases were first implemented in January through March of2003. Monthly release volumes in February, and March 2004 are scheduled to be 744,000 and 807,000 acre-feet, respectively, which averages out to about 13,000 cfs per day. In April, high fluctuating releases will end. Releases in April, 2004 will likely be 600,000 acre-feet which averages out to about 10,000 cfs. Because of the draw down condition of Lake Powell, releases from Lake Powell in water year 2004 are being scheduled to meet the minimum release objective of 8.23 million acre- feet. This is consistent with the requirements of the Criteria for Coordinated Long-Range Operation of Colorado River Reservoirs. The experimental flows will not change the total volume of water to be released from Lake Powell in water year 2004. The experimental flows from Glen Canyon Dam received environmental clearances in December 2002. The flows were analyzed in an environmental assessment in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act. The experimental flows are the result of ongoing studies by scientists from the United States Geological Survey and were recommended by the Glen Canyon Dam Adaptive Management Work Group, a Federal advisory committee. The experimental flows address the decline of two key resources in the Grand Canyon: sediment and population viability of endangered humpback chub. The Finding of No Significant Impact on the experimental flows can be found at http://www.uc.usbr.gov/amp/t1ow fonsi.pdf. Basin Hydrology Drought conditions in the Colorado River Basin continue. While snowpack conditions this year are better than they have been in the past 5 years, there are no signals that there has been significant amelioration of the drought. In late December and early January there were a number of storms in the Colorado River Basin. Early January snowpack showed some promise with the basinwide 'pack' getting as high as 115 percent of average by January 8. The pattern since that time has been drier than average, however. As of February 4,2004, snowpack in the Colorado River Basin is 96 percent of average. Because of the extended drought, the snowpack lies atop a mantle of very dry soil. This scenario is not favorable for this spring's runoff, as much of the melting snow will be absorbed by the soil. The National Weather Service's February inflow forecast is calling for 6.5 million acre-feet of unregulated inflow to Lake Powell in April through July. This is only 82 percent of average.