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MONTH-TO-MONTH OPERATION <br />The Bureau informs Western on a monthly basis as to the amount of <br />water in Flaming Gorge Reservoir which can be released. Western <br />then schedules daily releases to maximize revenues and to balance <br />load on the transmission grid. The general rule is peak <br />electrical demand is spread across the summer air conditioning <br />load and the winter heating season. Peak summer months are June, <br />July, and August with winter peaks in January, February, and <br />March. These general demand patterns are refined on a yearly <br />basis to reflect changes in the general climate and runoff <br />forecasts. <br />The Flaming Gorge generating facility consists of three generators <br />with a summer season maximum operating capacity of 42 megawatts <br />each, and a winter season maximum operation capacity of 44 <br />megawatts. Historically, water released through these three units <br />have been as high as 4,500 cfs and have been limited to a minimum <br />of 800 cfs. The maximum releases are constrained by generator <br />throughput, and the minimum releases are controlled by an <br />agreement with the State of Utah to provide a minimum release of <br />400 cfs (releases below 800 cfs occur very rarely) below the <br />Reservoir to maintain a high quality cold water fishery. <br />HYDROSS SIMULATION OF FLAMING GORGE <br />Having developed the basic network, table, and flow information <br />presented above, the operation of Flaming Gorge Reservoir was <br />simulated based upon a the basic operational criteria described <br />above. The simulation was accomplished by building upon known <br />operational characteristics and using `a trial and error <br />methodology. The first simulation, Trial 1, consisted of using a <br />monthly release of 800 cfs to drive Reservoir releases. The model <br />was operated for the period 1976 to 1982 and the results were <br />reviewed. Trial 1 produced an operation wherein the Reservoir <br />filled to the maximum and spilled excessively because of the lack <br />of demand for water to satisfy any need. <br />Trial 2 consisted of using historic releases <br />Reservoir to drive Reservoir releases (Table <br />This operation worked fairly well and tended <br />model was working properly. The drawback to <br />that it does not use the power of the model <br />studies. <br />from Flaming Gorge <br />T702 Attachment 2). <br />to confirm that the <br />this operation was <br />to do "what if" <br />13