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• Board Meeting Date: 7/22/2009
• Description: WSP Section - Upper Colorado River ESA Recovery Program - 10825 - Tuedi Reservoir Update
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Memo

Agenda Item 21
Julv 21-22, 2009 Board Meeting
Page 2 of 6
Distribution of the 51,500 AF' West Slope Marketable Pool
51,500 West Slope Marketable Pool
- 7,850 Balance 43,650 Round I Sales
- 5,000 Balance 38,650 Round II ESA Water
- 17,000 Balance 21,650 Round II Sales
Endan~ered Fish Recoverv Pro~ram
The Recovery linplementation Program for Endangered Fish Species in the Upper
Colorado River Basin (Recovery Program) are committed to entering into an interim contract for
the unsold portion of the regulatory capacity remaining in Ruedi Reservoir following Round II
water sales. This Recovery Prograsn action is also a component of the reasonable and prudent
alternative identified by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) in the ainended Ruedi
Round II water sales Biological Opinion dated January 6, 1999. Following the Round II sales,
the reinaining unsold regulatory capacity of 21,650 AF' was inade available for endangered fish
flows in addition to the water supplied through the existing 40-year Memorandum of Agreement
for 10,000 AF (5,000 froin storage and 5,000 available on average in four out of five years
through inodified operations of Ruedi). Thus, as of Deceinber 31, 1999, the total ainount of
water in Ruedi Reservoir available for endangered fish flow purposes was 31,650 AF. However,
pursuant to the Final Prograininatic Biological Opinion for the Upper Colorado River, dated
December 1999, the 21,650 AF' portion of Ruedi endangered fish flow water may be reduced by
one-half when water users provide the other 10,825 AF' froin other sources. The water users
have approved interiin agreeinents with the Service and this Board for providing that 10,825 AF'
(5,412.5 AF from Denver's Williams Fork Reservoir and 5,412.5 AF from the Colorado River
Water Conservation District's Wolford Mountain Reservoir). The remaining 10,825 AF of
Ruedi water is provided for ESA fish flow purposes through a contract between Reclaination, the
Board and the US Fish and Wildlife Service that runs through 2012.
Permanent 10825 Proposal
East Slope and West Slope water providers that divert from the Upper Colorado Basin
coininitted to replacing the interiin supply with a perinanent supply of 10,825 AF' of water per
year (10825 Water) to assist with the recovery of four warm water endangered fish species in the
15-Mile Reach of the Colorado River near Grand Junction, most commonly during the July
through October period. During this tiine of year the streain flow of the Colorado River within
the 15 Mile Reach is substantially impacted by upstream water diversions, and the supplemental
10825 Water is beneficial to the endangered fish. The coininitinent to provide 10825 Water is
conceptually divided equally between East Slope and West Slope water providers, with each
responsible to supply 5,412.5 AF' per year on a perinanent basis. The water providers are
required to have permanent agreements in place that identify the permanent source of the 10825
Water by December of 2009.
The East Slope and West Slope water providers have recently identified a selected
alternative to supply the 10825 Water. The selected alternative would release 5,412.5 AF' of
water froin Ruedi Reservoir each year. An additional 5,412.5 AF' would be released froin
Granby Reservoir during the suininer at agreed upon schedules that are also designed to optiinize
streain habitat in the upper Colorado River below Granby. The Granby Reservoir releases would