9600

• UCREFRP Catalog Number: 9600
• Author: Brown and Caldwell.
• Title: Phase 2 Coordinated Facilities Water Availability Study for the Endangered Fishes of the Upper Colorado River - Final Report.
• USFW Year: 2003.
• USFW - Doc Type: \
• Copyright Material: NO

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¦ 300 cfs instream flow right decreed to the CWCB for water accretions accruing to the
' 15-Mile Reach during July, August and September. This right provides further
protection to water reaching the 15-Mile Reach from future diversions.
¦ 5,000 acre-feet per year of stored water is made available from Ruedi Reservoir by
' Reclamation in consultation with the Service and the CWCB when needed by the fish
pursuant to the Ruedi Reservoir Round II Water Sales Biological Opinion.
' An additional 5,000 acre-feet in 4 out of 5 years is made available from either Ruedi
Reservoir of Green Mountain Reservoir by the Bureau of Reclamation via modified
reservoir operations in consultation with the Service and CWCB when needed by the

' fish. Protection of this 5,000 acre-feet and the 5,000 acre-feet above is accomplished
pursuant to the terms of an agreement between Reclamation, CWCB and the Service
which provides for the contract delivery and protection of the water to and through

1 the 15-1\1ile Reach.
An additional 10,825 acre-feet per year from Ruedi Reservoir delivered to the 15-Mile
Reach under the terms of a short and/or long term lease(s) through the year 2012. In
the past, Reclamation had provided 21,650 acre-feet of water annually from the unsold
regulatory capacity as referred to in the Ruedi Reservoir Round H Water Sales
Amended Biological Opinion Qanuary 6, 1999). This 21,650 acre-feet annual
' commitment, contained in the Ruedi Reservoir Biological Opinion, will be replaced by
the long-term lease of 10,825 acre-feet from Ruedi Reservoir and a 10,825 acre-feet
interim/permanent commitment divided equally between other facilities serving east
' slope and west slope water users. All of this water is presently used for augmenting
flows during the late summer and early fall periods and not for spring peak
augmentation.
¦ Initially, the 10,825 acre-feet, which is the responsibility of the east and west slope
water users to supply, will be provided on an interim basis for a period up to 10 years

' or until permanent contracts are signed for delivery as needed by the fish, whichever
occurs first. Colorado's water users will determine which facilities will provide the
water and will execute necessary agreements. Until the permanent source(s) of this

' water are determined, two 10-year Agreements for the Interim Provision of Water to
the 15-Mile Reach of the Colorado River have been entered into: (1) with the
Colorado River Water Conservation District (River District), (Colorado River Water
Conservation District and Colorado Water Conservation Board, 2000), and (2) with
' Denver Water (Denver Water and Colorado Water Conservation Board, 2000).
Both agreements involve the CWCB and the Service on behalf of themselves and
other water users. Under the agreement with the River District, the River District will
release 5,412.5 acre-feet of water per year. The primary source of water will be
Wolford Mountain Reservoir (West Slope Pool) and unused Ruedi, Round I and
Round II contracted water.
Under the Denver Water agreement, Denver Water will release 5,412.5 acre-feet per
year. Denver Water's primary source of water will be Williams Fork Reservoir (subject
to drought provisions). Denver Water may also use Wolford Mountain Reservoir
(Denver Water's Pool, subject to drought provisions), Dillon Reservoir, and
Homestake Reservoir.

PAData\GEN\CWCB\19665\Repoit Phase 2\FinalReport9.03\Final_CFOPS_Report(9-03).doc
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