7951

• UCREFRP Catalog Number: 7951
• Author: Boudreaux, J.
• Title: Techniques For Computing Endangered Species Mitigation For Water Development Projects In The Upper Colorado River Basin.
• USFW Year: 1981.
• USFW - Doc Type: \
• Copyright Material: NO

9
Another problem is that the Service should probably use a different method
of calculating current water depletions. That point will be covered in
more detai] later. A biological opinion for the project is now in progress.
PART V. Mitigation Formula for Moon Lake Electric Project
The most recent application of the Windy Gap Conservation approach is on
the Moon Lake Electric powerplant project in Utah. This project would
deplete about 21,730 acre-feet of water per year from the Green River. The
project, like Windy Gap, will have no detectable local major impacts on
endangered fish species; through its water depletion, however, it will
have an'impact on the basin wide conservation plan for recovery.
The Green River at Green River, Utah, gage was selected as the appropriate
gage for computing present water depletions in the Basin. Like the Cisco
gage, it has a long record (continuous record dates back to 1904).
~.
During meetings with Moon Lake Electric, it came to FWS' attention that
Water and Power Resources Service may have computer data on hand that
would indicate the current level of depletion at the Green River gage.
. .~
A check was made at the WPRS office in Salt Lake City. Fortunately,
some data was available. WPRS indicated that they had predevelopment
and present flows at several gages in the Colorado and Green River,
including the Cisco and Green River gages. This information was devel-
oped as part of the Colorado-River Storage Project Data Base.
The data was pulled by WPRS'and delivered to the Salt Lake City Area Office
of FWS... Area Office personnel called me and read the pertinent data over
the,, phone.. An estimate I f the Moon Lake's share of the conservation plan _
..- - ;