8279

• UCREFRP Catalog Number: 8279
• Author: Brown and Caldwell.
• Title: Phase 1 Coordinated Facilities Water Availability Study for the Endangered Fishes of the Upper Colorado River.
• USFW Year: 2000.
• USFW - Doc Type: \
• Copyright Material: NO

It is expected that up to 20,000 acre-feet of average annual yield could be developed from a
combination of the following options. The yield from Green Mountain Reservoir Preemptive
Release and Release of Green Mountain Reservoir Water Carried Over in Green Mountain
Reservoir (see Sections 3.2.1.3 and 3.2.1.4) is dependent on the water "saved" which in turn
determines the yield of these alternatives. More precise yield estimates can be developed on the
basis of modeling analyses which will be completed in Phase 2.
Capital costs will vary from negligible costs for revising internal operating policies to significant
investments if major amounts of replacement storage are necessary for replacing lost yield from
other projects. Replacing lost project yield could have capital costs of $5,000 to $10,000 per
acre-foot of yield replaced. Necessary construction to eliminate downstream channel flow
conveyance constraints could significantly affect capital costs for this alternative.
Operation and maintenance costs could likewise vary from negligible costs for revising internal
operating policies to significant amounts ($250 per acre-foot) if there were significant pumping
costs associated with replacement storage. Power interference charges could increase O&M
costs significantly.
All of these projects will have potential effects on other projects' yields and flexibility of
operations depending on the configuration of a Green Mountain Reservoir Operations alternative.
The effects of a Green Mountain Reservoir Operations alternative will be better quantified
through modeling in Phase 2. An effort is made below to detail some of these potential effects.
Potential legal and permitting problems exist with the options detailed below. These involve
fundamental concerns involving whether the United States has the discretionary authority under
the water rights decree for Green Mountain Reservoir, held by the United States, and the manner
of operations described in Senate Document No. 80, to allow releases for the recovery of the
endangered fishes.
Water rights administration concerns include whether flows released for recovery of the
endangered fishes during July to October require administrative protection to insure
administrative and delivery of these releases to the head of the 15-Mile Reach.
There may be institutional issues involving the options detailed below. For example, the
Preference Power customers (including Platte River Power Authority, Tri-State, Poudre Valley
REA, and Union REA) may oppose the reduced winter power operations and demand power
interference charges be paid.
Green Mountain Reservoir operations constraints may seriously restrict feasibility of this
alternative. For example, current reluctance to bypass releases through the turbines (present
actual turbine capacity is approximately 1,500 cfs; decreed capacity is 1726 cfs) would prohibit
making large releases for the recovery of the endangered fishes. The effect of this 1,500 cfs limit
will have to be determined through modeling or other analysis in Phase 2.

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