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<br />Final Report <br /> <br />2-6 <br /> <br />September 2000 <br /> <br />because there was less information on fish flow needs in these seasons. Requests or <br />recommendations for research flows were submitted to Reclamation and discussed at biannual <br />meetings of the Flaming Gorge Operations Work Group, which included members from the Service, <br />Reclamation, State of Utah, Western Area Power Administration (Western), other affected agencies, <br />and the public. <br /> <br />Flow requests made by the Flaming Gorge Research Team varied depending on study needs <br />and available water resources. The Biological Opinion required that research flows would include <br />at least 1 year with stable winter releases at or less than 57 m3/s from Flaming Gorge Dam and at <br />least 1 year that featured a spring peak release of approximately 510 m3/s measured at the Jensen <br />gage (using bypass tubes at Flaming Gorge Dam if needed). The Biological Opinion also required <br />the research program to examine spring peak flows of different magnitudes and durations. In addition <br />to the flows required in the Biological Opinion, the Flaming Gorge Research Team requested stable <br />releases from Flaming Gorge Dam to support studies for short periods of time during summer <br />through winter in some years. Each year, specific recommendations for spring and summer-autumn <br />flows were developed by the Flaming Gorge Research Team in January and February and finalized <br />in April with the Flaming Gorge Operations Work Group. Winter flow recommendations were <br />similarly finalized, typically during November of each year. <br /> <br />Releases from Flaming Gorge Dam and flows that occurred during the research program <br />are summarized in Appendix A. High spring flows (greater than 510 m3/s at Jensen) occurred in <br />1993,1995, and 1996. Required summer and autumn base flows were achieved consistently during <br />the research period. Winter releases were low and stable in 1990, 1991, 1993, and 1995, as desired. <br />Flooding concerns prompted curtailment of maximum power-plant-capacity releases in 1993 and <br />1995. At no time during the research period were releases made from the bypass tubes (full-bypass <br />releases of 244 m3/s were made in June 1997 after the Flaming Gorge Flow Recommendations <br />Investigation had ended). <br /> <br />2.4 DEVELOPMENT OF INTEGRA TED FLOW RECOMMENDATIONS <br /> <br />A Flaming Gorge Technical Integration Team (Integration Team) was assembled from <br />members of the Flaming Gorge Research Team to integrate results of studies supporting the 1992 <br />Biological Opinion, the 7 years (1990-1996) of additional research conducted under the Flaming <br />Gorge Flow Recommendations Investigation, and other relevant contemporary studies in order to <br />develop integrated flow and temperature recommendations that would benefit recovery of humpback <br />chub, Colorado pikeminnow, and razorback sucker. Members of the Integration Team are the <br />authors of this report. <br />