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Flood Control Unit operations provide flood control benefits, both upstream and downstream of the reservoir. One of the operational sideboards for high water years is to keep flows from the Unit and downstream tributaries below 15,000 cfs through the city of Delta and Delta County area during spring runoff to reduce flooding. Coordination of the Unit with Taylor Park operations also is used to reduce upstream flooding. During the winter months, Blue Mesa Reservoir is drawn down approximately 30 feet by January 1 to reduce problems with ice jams and winter flooding upstream from the reservoir near the city of Gunnison. Related Projects Many existing water projects and activities are in place or are being considered for the Gunnison River Basin that affect how Reclamation operates the Unit. These include existing federal and state water projects, private water developments, instream flow filings, contractual agreements, proposed water developments, and others. Existing projects include the Uncompahgre Project which diverts over 300,000 acre-feet of water from the river through the Gunnison Tunnel. Taylor Park Reservoir, with a capacity of 106,000 acre-feet, stores water for this irrigation project on a headwater tributary. A 1975 Exchange Agreement allows exchange of storage between Taylor Park Reservoir and Blue Mesa Reservoir to benefit fisheries, recreation, and agriculture. Approximately 2 miles upstream of the Gunnison River's confluence with the Colorado River, the private Redlands Water and Power Company diverts about 750 cfs year round under their senior water rights for irrigation, hydropower generation, and municipal and industrial purposes. Two proposals for non-federal projects in the Gunnison Basin are under study. The AB Lateral Hydropower Project would be downstream of the Unit, and the Upper Gunnison River Basin Project (Union Park Transbasin Diversion Project) would be in the headwaters of the basin. The AB Lateral Hydropower Project is sponsored by Montrose Partners as a joint venture with the Uncompahgre Valley Water Users Association. This project would increase annual diversions from the Gunnison River through the Gunnison Tunnel by approximately 300,000 acre-feet. Reclamation is the lead federal agency for environmental compliance on this project. In cooperation with the Army Corps of Engineers, Reclamation is working with the sponsors to supplement a 1990 final environmental impact statement for this project. This supplement could be completed in 2001. The Upper Gunnison River Basin Project was studied under Federal Energy Regulatory Commission regulations. An application for a preliminary permit for the project was filed with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) in 1997 by the County of Arapahoe and Town of Parker, Colorado. In its comments to FERC, the Department of the Interior concluded that authority for hydropower development at Taylor Park Reservoir rests with Interior. This project would include a 900,000 acre-foot reservoir and use Taylor Park Reservoir as a fore- and afterbay in its pumped storage reservoir. In 1988 and 1990, Arapahoe County, Colorado, filed applications seeking conditional water rights for the Union Park Project to move water from the Gunnison Basin to eastern Colorado. These rights were opposed by the United States to the A-9