Laserfiche WebLink
<br />January 7, 2004 11 <br />of6,498.5 feet (1,980.7 meters), on August 4,2003, which was 7.5 feet (2.3 meters) below the <br />crest ofthe spillway. <br /> <br />The most probable April through July inflow of 0.695 maf (857mcm) for water year 2004 far <br />exceeds Fontenelle=s storage capacity of 0.345 maf(426 mcm). Therefore, the most probable and <br />maximum probable inflow scenarios require releases during the spring that exceed the capacity of <br />the power plant to avoid uncontrolled spills from the reservoir. It is likely that Fontenelle reservoir <br />will fill during water year 2004. In order to minimize high spring releases, and to maximize <br />downstream resources and power production, the reservoir will most likely be drawn down to the <br />minimum pool elevation of 6,463 feet above sea level (1,970 meters) by early April 2004, which <br />corresponds to a volume of 0.093 maf (115 mcm) of live storage. <br /> <br />In September 2000, a final report titled AFlow and Temperature Recommendations for Endangered <br />Fishes in the Green River Downstream of Flaming Gorge Dam@ (Flaming Gorge Flow <br />Recommendations) was published by the Upper Colorado River Recovery Program. The report <br />compiled and summarized research conducted on endangered fish in the Green River under the <br />Upper Colorado River Recovery Program and presents flow recommendations for three segments of <br />the Green River. Reclamation is in the process of conducting a National Environmental Policy Act <br />(NEPA) process to determine the best operational alternative for Flaming Gorge Dam to meet these <br />flow recommendations. A Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) is scheduled to be <br />published in the spring of 2004. Completion of the final EIS and Record of Decision (ROD) will <br />likely occur in the latter half of 2004. <br /> <br /> <br />Flaming Gorge Reservoir <br /> <br />For the fourth year in a row, inflows into Flaming Gorge were below normal during water year 2003. <br />The annual unregulated inflow volume for water year 2003 was 0.764 maf(942 mcm), or 44 percent <br />of normal. The annual unregulated inflow was only 56 percent of normal in water year 2000, only <br />43 percent of normal in water year 2001 , and only 31 percent of normal in water year 2002. Flaming <br />Gorge Reservoir did not fill in water year 2003, but the reservoir elevation did recover from 6010.50 <br />feet above sea level at the beginning of water year 2003 to 6,009.8 feet (1,832 meters) above sea <br />level by the end of water year 2003. The water year ending reservoir elevation was still 30 feet (9.2 <br />meters) below the full pool elevation of6,040 feet (1,841 meters). <br /> <br />A spring peak release of 4,600 cfs (130 cms) was made for a period of 8 days between May 20, <br />2003, and May 27, 2003, as called for in the 1992 Final Biological Opinion on the Operation of <br />Flaming Gorge Dam (BOFG). These releases were made through the power plant and were <br />successfully timed to meet peak flows on the Yampa River. The Yampa River peaked at <br />approximately 16,000 cfs (450 cms) on June 3, 2003. Flows on the Green River near Jensen, an <br />important segment of the Green River for endangered fish, peaked at about 19,000 cfs (538 cms) on <br />June 3, 2003. <br /> <br />In water year 2004, until the ROD is finalized, Flaming Gorge Dam will continue to be operated in <br />accordance with the BOFG. The BOFG calls for high spring releases to occur each year, timed with <br />the peak of the Yampa River, so as to more closely mimic historic Green River flows. Releases <br />