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necessary, make adjustments to releases so that the 2000 Flow and Temperature <br />Recommendations for Reach 1 could also be met. The Flaming Gorge Model assumes <br />that the 2000 Flow and Temperature objectives in Reach 3 are met whenever the flow <br />objectives are met in Reach 2. <br />The 2000 Flow and Temperature Recommendations focus primarily on the flow regimes <br />in Reaches 2 and 3, which include flows from the Yampa River. However, since these <br />river flow criteria are based solely on upper Green River hydrology, the 2000 Flow and <br />Temperature Recommendations in Reaches 1 and 2 would most likely be achieved to <br />varying degrees. For example, in years when the upper Green River Basin is wetter than <br />the Yampa River Basin, meeting the 2000 Flow and Temperature Recommendations in <br />Reaches 2 and 3 would most likely exceed the minimum target for the peak flow <br />recommendations for Reach 1. <br />Conversely, if the Yampa River Basin is wetter than the upper Green River Basin, <br />meeting the 2000 Flow and Temperature Recommendations for Reaches 2 and 3 could <br />result in falling short of the peak flow target for Reach 1. Under this scenario, the Action <br />Alternative might require Flaming Gorge Dam releases to be increased so that the <br />2000 Flow and Temperature Recommendations in Reach 1 could also be met. Flows in <br />Reaches 2 and 3 would then exceed their respective minimum 2000 Flow and <br />Temperature Recommendations. Since only one release pattern can be selected each <br />year, depending upon how water is distributed between the upper Green River and <br />Yampa River Basins, each reach would achieve or exceed its respective minimum <br />2000 Flow and Temperature Recommendations to varying degrees. <br />Each year, Reclamation would work closely with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and <br />Western in developing a flow regime consistent with the 2000 Flow and Temperature <br />Recommendations and CRSP purposes and would also consider input from the Flaming <br />Gorge Working Group meetings. The overall effectiveness of implementing the Action <br />Alternative would be measured by the long-term frequency of achieving flow thresholds <br />described in the 2000 Flow and Temperature Recommendations. Consideration would be <br />given to hydrologic conditions, operational limitations, and past operational conditions. <br />An administrative record of the operational decisionmaking would be maintained and <br />available to the public. This record would include analysis of previous operations and the <br />effectiveness of achieving desired targets on a year-by-year basis. <br />Water release temperatures at the dam would be regulated with the objective of achieving <br />target temperatures for upper Lodore Canyon and the confluence of the Yampa and <br />Green Rivers during the first 2 to 5 weeks of the base flow period and/or when Colorado <br />pikeminnow larvae are present at this confluence. <br />S.12 REVIEW OF FLAMING GORGE MODEL DEVELOPED <br />FOR THE FLAMING GORGE DAM DEIS <br />As detailed in the DEIS, a river simulation model (Flaming Gorge Model) was developed <br />for the Green River system to assess impacts of Flaming Gorge Dam operations. For <br />S-18 -*.- Operation of Flaming Gorge Dam Draft EIS