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<br />COLORADO BASIN <br /> Sep - 08 <br /> <br />Basinwide Conditions Assessment <br /> The S WSI value for the month was + 1.9 . Flow at <br />COLORADO BASIN SWSI HISTORY <br />the ga u g ing station Colorado River near Dotsero was 1709 <br />4 <br />cfs, as compared to the long - term average of 1771 cfs. <br />Storage in Green Mountain, Ruedi, and Williams Fork <br />3 <br />reservo irs totaled 112 % of normal as of the end of August . <br />2 <br /> <br />DRY INDEX VALUE WET <br />Outlook <br />1 <br /> Upper Fryingpan River flow fel l sharply in late <br />August well below average and in violation of minimum <br />0 <br />stream flow requirements. However, continued above - <br />-1 <br />average flows in the upper Roaring Fork and Crystal River <br />have maintained the lower Roaring Fork River at above <br />-2 <br />average flows, contri buting to continued above average <br />flows on the Colorado River . Blue and Eagle R iver flows <br />-3 <br />have fallen to at or below average throughout August. <br />-4 <br /> <br />Jan-99 Jan-00 Jan-01 Jan-02 Jan-03 Jan-04 Jan-05 Jan-06 Jan-07 Jan-08 <br />MONTH / YEAR <br /> <br />Administrative/Management Concerns <br /> Dillon Reservoir spilling from moderate precipitation <br />COLORADO RIVER NR. DOTSERO, FLOW BY WATER YEAR <br />in the upper Bl ue River Basin and discontinued Roberts <br />Tunnel diversions resulted in increased Green Mountain <br />3,500,000 <br />Reservoir releases in late August. Additionally, a declared <br />Historic Users Pool surplus has lead to further releases <br />3,000,000 <br />CUMULATIVE FLOW, Acre-Feet <br />contributing to above average Colorado River flows. Green <br />2,500,000 <br />Mountain reservoir’s 1935 power right imposed a call on the <br />th <br />Blue River on August 18 . The Colorado River continues to <br />2,000,000 <br />have no calls from Grand Valley Irrigators. <br />1,500,000 <br /> <br />Public Use Impacts <br />1,000,000 <br /> A flushing of the lower Fryingpan River near the <br />conflue nce with the Roaring Fork River considered by the <br />500,000 <br />Division of Wildlife following last years mud flow was deferred <br />0 <br />pending runoff this past Spring. Flushing of the c hannel was <br />Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb March April May June July Aug Sept <br />accomplished by mid - June flows which exceeded 600 cfs as <br />part of the fish recover y program near Grand Junction. The <br />WET (1984) DRY (2002) AVG 2008 <br />Colorado Water Conservation District is considering <br />implementation of a Western Slope “water bank” created <br />REPRESENTATIVE RESERVOIRS <br />through purchase or lease of pre - 1922 water rights for <br />municipality use in the event the full allotment of 1922 <br />160,000 <br />in terstate compact water with California, Arizona, and <br />140,000 <br />Nevada was demanded. This however could create <br />competition with Front Range utilities such as Denver Water <br />120,000 <br />Usable Storage, acre-feet <br />and the Northern Water Conservancy District who are equally <br />interested in Western Slope water ri ghts. <br />100,000 <br /> <br />80,000 <br />60,000 <br />40,000 <br />20,000 <br />0 <br />Green Mountain Ruedi Williams Fork <br />Avg. 8/31 Contents 8/31/08 Contents <br />7 <br />