Laserfiche WebLink
<br />6,496.7 feet (1,980 meters), on August 5, 2002 which was 9.3 feet (2.8 meters) below the crest of the <br />spillway. <br /> <br />Because the most probable inflow of 0.891 maf (1,100 mcm) for water year 2003 far exceeds <br />Fontenelle's storage capacity of 0.345 maf(426 mcm), the most probable and maximum probable <br />inflow scenarios require releases during the spring that exceed the capacity of the power plant. It is <br />unlikely that F ontenelle reservoir will not fill during water year 2003. In order to minimize high <br />spring releases, and to maximize downstream resources and power production, the reservoir will <br />most likely be drawn down to the minimum pool elevation of 6,463 feet above sea level (1,970.0 <br />meters) by early April 2003, which corresponds to a volume of 0.093 maf(115 mcm) oflive storage. <br /> <br />Flaming Gorge Reservoir <br /> <br />F or the third year in a row, inflows into Flaming Gorge were well below normal during water year <br />2002. The annual unregulated inflow volume for water year 2002 was 0.529 maf (653 mcm), or 31 <br />percent of normal. The annual unregulated inflow was only 56 percent of normal in water year 2000 <br />and only 43 percent of normal in water year 200 I. Flaming Gorge Reservoir did not fill in water <br />year 2002 and inflow was so low that the reservoir continued to decrease in water surface elevation <br />during the spring and early summer. The water surface elevation of Flaming Gorge Reservoir on <br />September 30, 2002 was 6,011.0 feet above sea level (1,832.2 meters), 29.0 feet from full pool. <br /> <br />A spring peak release of 4,000 cfs (113 cms) was made for a period of 1 week between May 21, <br />2002 and May 27, 2002 as called for in the 1992 Final Biological Opinion on the Operation of <br />flaming Gorge Dam. These releases were made through the power plant and were successfully <br />timed to meet peak flows on the Yampa River. The Yampa River peaked at approximately 3,700 cfs <br />(105 cms) on May 22, 2002. Flows on the Green River near Jensen, an important segment of the <br />Green River for endangered fish, peaked at about 7,700 cfs (218 cms) on May 23, 2002. <br /> <br />In September 2000, a final report titled "Flow 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 currently conducting a National Environmental Policy Act (NEP A) <br />process to determine the best operational alternative for Flaming Gorge Dam to meet these flow <br />recommendations. Reclamation has developed a river simulation model (using the RiverWare <br />modeling system), which simulates the operation of Flaming Gorge Dam under the Flaming Gorge <br />Flow Recommendations, and under the 1992 Biological Opinion on the Operation of Flaming Gorge <br />(BOFG). These modeled alternatives facilitate the quantification of impacts to the resources at <br />Flaming Gorge Dam and to resources in the Green River below the dam associated with the <br />proposed implementation of the Flaming Gorge Flow Recommendations. A draft Environmental <br />Impact Statement (DEIS) will likely be published in late 2002 while completion ofthe final EIS and <br />Record of Decision (ROD) is scheduled to occur in 2003. <br /> <br />In water year 2003, Flaming Gorge Dam will continue to be operated in accordance with the BOFG. <br />The BOFG calls for high spring releases to occur each year, timed with the peak of the Yampa <br /> <br />December 13,2002 <br /> <br />10 <br />