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<br />average flow for the day. The range of fluctuation (high to low) from Flaming Gorge Dam will <br />generally be on the order of about 1000 cfs on any given day. <br /> <br />The weather servic~ has issued the final forecast for June and the April through July inflow into <br />Flaming Gorge. The forecast decreased by 100,000 acre-feet from 775,000 acre-feet in May to <br />675,000 acre-feet in June. Lower inflows this year indicate that the water surface elevation may be <br />lower this summer as compared to previous years. The water surface elevation during the summer <br />recreation months (July, August) will likely be in the range from 6022 to 6023 feet above sea level. <br /> <br />Open forum discussions on Flaming Gorge operations have been taking place at meetings of the <br />"Flaming Gorge Working Group". The next Working Group meeting is scheduled for September 12 <br />at 11:00 am in Heber City, UT. For more information on the Working Group, contact Ed Vidmar at <br />801-379-1000 or access the working group website at http://www.pro.uc.usbr.gov/fgwg. <br /> <br />ASPINALL - May unregulated inflow into Blue Mesa was 228,000 acre-feet or 106 percent of <br />average. Precipitation in the Gunnison basin was 60 percent of average for the month. Currently, the <br />basin snowpack is just about gone, which result in the ~ak snowmelt runoff coming early in May. <br />The inflow rate into Blue Mesa Reservoir is averaging about 3,100 cfs and reservoir releases are <br />averaging about 1,400 cfs. Blue Mesa's current elevation is 7506.89 feet which corresponds to a <br />storage content of about 719,000 acre-feet. <br /> <br />Releases from Crystal Dam are currently 1,900 cfs. The Gunnison Diversion Tunnel has been <br />diverting about 900 cfs over the last few days, resulting in river flows below the tunnel of about <br />1,000 cfs. Flows should remain near this level until the Gunnison Diversion Tunnel takes it's <br />maximum flow rate (about 1,100 cfs). Since Crystal releases are at maximum powerplant now, we <br />anticipate the river flows below the tunnel to be reduced to about 800 cfs. This flow rate should <br />remain at this level through out the summer months and into the fall. <br /> <br />The next meeting ofthe "Aspinall Unit Working Group" will be held o~ August 17, 20Q9~ <br />at 12:30 pm in National Park Service Elk Creek Visitor Center at Blue Mesa Reservoir. At this <br />meeting, review of last spring and summer operations, and plans for this fall 2000 operations will be <br />discussed. These meetings are open forum discussions on the Aspinall Unit reservoir operations <br />with many interested groups participating. Anyone needing further information about these meetings <br />should cpntact Ed Warner in the Grand Junction Area Office at (970) 248-0654. <br /> <br />NA V A/O - May unregulated inflow into Navajo was 166,000 acre-feet or 59 percent of normal. <br />Precipitation for the month was near 30 percent of normal. The basin snowpack is gone for the most <br />part. This month's April through July runoff forecast for Navajo Reservoir is for 370,000 acre-feet, <br />which is only 48 percent of normal. With the low runoff forecast there was no need for a Spring . <br />peak hydrograph release for endangered fish this season. However, there was a smaller duration <br />spring peak Hydrograph produced as a result of planed maintenance worked on the river by-pass <br />gates at Navajo Dam this summer. A 5,000 cfs one day duration peak was produced with ramping <br />flQwS for both the increasing and decreasing limbs of the hydrograph. This release evacuated enough <br />.' storage volume from the reservoir to allow for the safe operation of the reservoir during the summer <br />monspon season. <br />