7416

• UCREFRP Catalog Number: 7416
• Author: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
• Title: Flaming Gorge Aspinall Joint Operations Study December, 15, 1988-Draft.
• USFW Year: 1988.
• USFW - Doc Type: Denver, Colorado.
• Copyright Material: NO

A. INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND
As part of the Inter-Agency Agreement between the Bureau of
Reclamation (Bureau) and Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), the
Service is to study, evaluate and document the interrelationships
between the operation of Flaming Gorge Reservoir and the Aspinall
Unit which is comprised of Blue Mesa, Morrow Point and Crystal
Reservoirs. This report is meant to serve as the technical
documentation and completion report for this task.
The objective of this evaluation is to understand how differing
operational scenarios being considered for the Flaming Gorge
biological opinion may affect other Colorado River Storage Project
(Project) units, particularly the Aspinall Unit.
Currently, Flaming Gorge release schemes are being designed and
tested by the Bureau, Service and the Western Area Power
Administration (Western) as the various hydrological and
biological studies progress. The effects of these release schemes
will have to be analyzed and quantified before any long term
commitments for operational changes can be sought from the
operating agencies.
Issues
The primary issue that arises in discussions with the Bureau is
whether there is any flexibility to operate Flaming Gorge or the
Aspinall Unit differently from the way they have been operated in
the past. A second issue, which is dependant upon the answer to
the first issue, is what effect changes in the operation of
Flaming Gorge will have on the operation of the Aspinall Unit.
B. CONSTRAINTS
The constraints on the operation
broken down into four categories;
economic, and environmental.
of Flaming Gorge Reservoir can be
physical, institutional,
Physical Constraints
Physical Constraints dictate that the three Flaming Gorge
generating units operate within the limits of their design.
Historically, releases through these three units have been as high
as 4,500 cfs and have been limited to a minimum of 800 cfs.
Ramping rates can be as high as 500 cfs per hour, but have been
constrained to 100 cfs per hour to limit rapid stage changes in
the Green River below the dam.
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