WSPC12730

• 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 2003, with staff comment
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Data

Releases from Crystal Dam are currently set at 250 cfs. The Gunnison Diversion Tunnel has been
shut down for the winter with the exception of some small 60 to 100 cfs 24-hour diversions taken at
intervals of every 3-4 weeks for municipal water needs. Due to the severity of the drought
conditions in the basin, Black Canyon flows for this season are set at the current flow rate of 250 cfs.
When Uncompahgre Valley Water Users need to take their municipal water, releases from Crystal
will be modified in the same manor so as to maintain a steady flow in the canyon below the
diversion tunnel.

The next meeting of the "Aspinall Unit Working Group" will be held on Wednesday, January 15,
2003 at 12:30 PM in Montrose, Colorado. At this meeting, review of last summer and fall reservoir
operations, and plans for next winter and spring 2003 operations will be discussed. These meetings
are open forum discussions on the Aspinall Unit reservoir operations with many interested groups
participating. Anyone needing further information about these meetings should contact Dan
Crabtree in the Grand Junction Area Office at [phone].

NA V AJO - Releases from Navajo Reservoir are currently set at 350 cfs. This low flow is being
made for water conservation purposes in response to last summer's extreme drought conditions, and
is possible due to flows in the San Juan River endangered fish critical habitat area (Farmington to
Lake Powell) being within minimum levels. The San Juan River Basin Recovery Implementation
Program flow recommendations call for an average weekly flow of between 500 cfs and 1,000 cfs in
this reach of the river. However, this minimum flow has been adjusted down to the 350 cfs level in
accordance to the severe drought conditions in the basin.

Inflows into Navajo Reservoir continue to be extremely low. The current reservoir inflow is
averaging about 150 cfs. Last month's unregulated inflow for December was 12,600 acre-feet, or 51
percent of average. Based on current conditions and the assumption of less than average inflows,
through July 2003, there will be no spring peak releases in 2003. The current release of 350 cfs will
continue through the end of March in order to conserve storage. Presently, the reservoir water
surface elevation is 6010.2 feet, which corresponds to a storage content of about 823,000 acre-feet.
The monthly precipitation average in the basin above Bluff was 70 percent of normal. for December.
The basinwide snowpack on January 6, was 76 percent of normal for the Animas River Basin, and
79 percent of normal for the upper San Juan River Basin.

On January 6, 2003, the National Weather Service's River Forecast Center issued an inflow forecast
for Navajo Reservoir for April through July runoff period. The forecast is projecting a volume into
the reservoir of 510,000 acre-feet. This represents a 64 percent of average runoff for this time
period.

A public meeting on Navajo Reservoir operations will be held on Tuesday, January 21, 2003 at 1:00
PM in Farmington, New Mexico. At this meeting, review of last summer and fall reservoir
operations, and plans for next winter and spring 2003 operations will be discussed. These are open
forum discussions on the operation of Navajo Reservoir with many interested groups participating.
Anyone interested in the general operation of the reservoir is encouraged to attend. Please contact
Pat Page in Reclamation's Durango, Colorado Office at [phone] for information about these
meetings or the daily operation of Navajo Reservoir.