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U.S. Department of the Interior <br />BUREAU OF RECLAMATION <br />Eastern Colorado Area Office <br />1 <br />J <br /> <br /> <br />1 <br /> <br /> <br />1 <br />1 <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />1 <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />NEWS RELEASE <br />For immediate release: June 2,1998 <br />COORDINATED RESERVOIR OPERATIONS, <br />SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETES RELEASE OF INFLOWS FOR ENDANGERED FISH <br />The Coordinated Reservoir Operations Team, established in 1995 as part of the Recovery Program for <br />Endangered Fish in the Upper Colorado River Basin, has successfully completed releases to enhance <br />peak flows in the 15 Mile Reach. <br />Participating reservoirs began increasing releases of inflows the middle of last week to enhance the peak <br />flow at Cameo . At peak releases over the weekend, the flow of the Colorado River was increased by <br />approximately-2470 cfs: 1350 cfs from Green Mountain Reservoir (including 200 cfs from Dillon <br />Reservoir); 620 cfs from Ruedi; 200 cfs from Williams Fork; and, 300 cfs from Wolford. <br />A peak flow at Cameo of approximately 16,000 cfs was reached Sunday, May 31st. Releases of inflow <br />from the participating reservoirs are currently decreasing and will be back to average or below by June 3: <br />Green Mountain Reservoir down to 100 cfs; Ruedi down to 150 cfs; and Williams Fork down to 110 cfs. <br />Other releases will continue to decrease over the course of June, with Granby returning to 89 cfs by June <br />28 and Wolford to 100 cfs by June 30. <br />Four of the native fish species which inhabit the Colorado River Basin are federally listed as endangered: <br />Colorado squawfish, humpback chub, razorback sucker and bonytail. Each of these four species was <br />once abundant in the Upper Colorado River Basin. The purpose of the Coordinated Reservoir Operations <br />Team is to coordinate discretionary releases of inflow to help enhance peak flows., The enhancement of <br />peak flows will improve habitats for Colorado squawfish and may restore some floodplain habitats to <br />assist recovery of the other endangered species. <br />For further information please contact Malcolm Wilson at the Bureau of Reclamation's Eastern Colorado <br />Area Office, 11056 West County Road 18E, Loveland, Colorado 80537-9711, (970) 6674410, <br />mwilson@gp.usbr.gov. <br />The Coordinated Reservoir Operations Team is comprised of major reservoir owner/operators representatives and water <br />management entities involved with water use in the Colorado River Basin in Colorado. Team entities include the Colorado River <br />Water Conservation District, Denver Water, Cities of Aurora & Colo. Springs, the Recovery Program, Fish <br />CRO98061 <br />21