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~~ ! Crystal Reservoir Te~eperature Study Page 3 September 23, 1988 The Colorado River section includes critical Squawfish habitat above and below the Gunnision River confluence; if habitat is available on the Gunnison River, it is probably not being used because the Redlands Dam serves as a barrier against upstream Squawfish Migration. However, selective operation of Crystal Reservoir may improve Colorado River temperatures for the Squawfish below the Colorado-Gunnison confluence. Data Collection Daily river discharge and temperature data were obtained from USGS gaging stations within the network. -The time period selected for our study was 1978 to 1986. Unfortunately, river temperature data was limited to sporadic grab samples at most stations. Table 1 shows the USGS stations we used and the data available at each station. Temperature data immediately below Crystal Reservoir were obtained from the Colorado State Division of Wildlife, Montrose, Colorado; they collected continuous water temperatures immediately below Crystal Dam from 1977 to 1982. Daily climatological- data were obtained from Mr. Nolan Doesken, Assistant State Climatologist, Colorado State University. He requested the data from the U.S. Department of Commerce, National Oceanic Administration in Ashville, North Carolina. All microclim- ate data were recorded from the Grand Junction meteorologic station. Stream geometry data were obtained from field observations and USGS topographic maps. PROCEDURES N_e t_w_o._r,k.. _._D_e_s_c._r i. p t._i._o_n The USGS gaging stations within the stream network were used to describe discharge. Flows below Crystal Dam were obtained by adding the Gunnison Tunnel diversions to the-USGS gaging station below the diversions. The temperature model does not route flow, so a Fortran-77 program was written to distribute the USGS gaging station flows throughout the network. Major diversions within the network were identified. The Government Highline canal and the Grand Valley Canal on the Colorado River were included; on the Gunnison River, the Gunnison Tunnel diversion below Crystal Reservoir was included. .Major return flows within the network included Salt Creek and Reed Wash. Both of these return flows are located on the Colorado River below the Colorado-Gunnision confluence; they represent irrigation return flows from the Government Highline and Grand Valley Canal diversions.