14d

• Board Meeting Date: 9/17/2008
• Description: Director's Report - CWCB Director
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Memo

15-MILE REACH SUMMER FLOW TARGET, HUP OPERATION AND SHOSHONE
POWER PLANT UPDATE: Based on this spring's runoff, the USFWS declared awet-year summer
flow target of 1640 cfs for the 15-Mile Reach. Flows remained above that target throughout July and
most of August. In late August, the UFWS requested releases from the fish pools at Ruedi, Williams
Fork and Wolford Mountain reservoirs to bolster declining flows in the Grand Valley.
The Shoshone power plant had been repaired and returned to service this spring. It was forced offline
again due to heavy debris during spring high flows. Repairs and maintenance have continued. Due to the
power plant remaining offline, the conditions of the Orchard Mesa Checlc settlement were not met. This
could have prevented declaration and release of surplus water from the Historic Users Pool (HCTP) in
Green Mountain Reservoir to support the 15-Mile Reach flow target.
Reclamation, the CRWCD and Denver Water agreed to release water to maintain flows at the Shoshone
power plant at their historic level, thereby working with the Grand Valley entities to meet the conditions
of the settlement. On August 27th the HUP Managing Entities declared surplus storage in Green
Mountain Reservoir. Releases from the HUP are now being made in conjunction with water from the fish
pools to support the flow targets near Palisade.
The Shoshone power plant recently brought one of its two units online and is working to have both units
operational in the near future. (Michelle Garrison)
MCCAAIN AND THE 1922 COLORADO RIVER COMPACT: Senator McCain set off a
firestorm of articles and letters after making comments about the possibility of renegotiating the Colorado
River Compact of 1922. Attached to this report (14d-08) are: 1) the original article; 2) a letter from
Senator McCain to Senator Allard where he clarified his remarks; and, 3) a letter from a number of water
leaders in Colorado to Senator Salazar about the issue. (Ted Kowalski)
PROPOSED LAKE POWELL PIPELINE PROJECT SLOPED BY FERC: The Federal
Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) is conducting National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)
scoping for the proposed Lake Powell Pipeline Project and the anticipated license for the Lake Powell
Hydroelectric System, located in Utah and Arizona. The second scoping document was issued on August
21, 2008 and it is available for viewing at:
http://www.water.utah.gov/LakePowellPipeline/ProjectUpdates/20080821-3005(19691112)SD2.pdf.
The Utah Division of Water resources has also issued a study plan, that is reviewable at:
http://www.water.utah.gov/LakePowellPipeline/ProjectUpdates/default.asp.
The Utah Division of water resources held public study plan meetings on September 8, 2008 and
September 9, 2008. Initial comments on the study plan are due by November 19, 2008 and the CWCB
Staff is working with the Attorney General's Office to develop comments. (Ted Kowalski)
WINDY GAP FIRMING PROJECT -DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
STATEMENT: The Bureau of Reclamation has issued a Draft Environmental Impact Statement
(DEIS) for the Windy Gap Firming Project. Reclamation will be accepting comments on the DEIS during
the next sixty days. To complement the public comment process, Reclamation will host two public
hearings:
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