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2.4 <br />the months when the Colorado River is at its lowest. Overall demand for water <br />from the Colorado River is high in the months of April through October due to <br />the increased requirements of agriculture, municipalities, and industry. Water <br />not supplied by Ruedi Reservoir to meet the base demand is assumed to be met <br />using water rights for direct flow from the Colorado River or a tributary. <br />Species <br />The Preferred with Conservation Measures Alternative is a modification of <br />the Preferred Alternative based on the June 15, 1987, Biological Opinion rendered <br />by the FWS as a result of consultation between Reclamation and the FWS for Ruedi <br />Round II and Green Mountain water sales. Basically, the Biological Opinion <br />requires that Reclamation would withhold 5,000 AF from the volume previously <br />anticipated for sale to industrial users. This amount would be made available <br />for instream flows for Colorado River endangered fish downstream of Palisade, <br />Colorado, in the months of July through September. FWS, in consultation with <br />Reclamation, would determine when the withheld water would be needed for <br />endangered fish flows. The water withheld from sale would be treated as if it <br />were subject to contract to an industrial user. Also as part of this <br />alternative, on an average of at least 4 out of every 5 years, an additional <br />5,000 AF would be made available for endangered fish flows from Ruedi in the <br />months of July through September through modified operations at Ruedi. <br />Preliminary release patterns have been determined, but would be specifically <br />determined each year by June 15 by the FWS in consultation with Reclamation. <br />Originally, the Preferred with Conservation Measures Alternative was <br />simulated for the release of all 10,000 AF of conservation flows over a 31-day <br />period in August. This scenario was discussed with various resource agencies <br />in November 1986. In response to public concerns, the alternative was resimu- <br />lated with the 10,000 AF of conservation flows released as 5,000 AF in August <br />and 5,000 AF in September. <br />This alternative would also yield a marketable water supply of up to 51,500 <br />AF under a dry-year condition assuming the same shortage criteria as the previous <br />alternative. The 51,500 AF would be reduced by the 5,000 AF withheld for the <br />conservation measures and by the 7,850 AF of Round I sales.