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INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND <br />As part of the Inter-Agency Agreement No. 6-AA-40-04070 between <br />the Bureau of Reclamation (Bureau) and Fish and Wildlife Service <br />(Service) to study and evaluate the effects of proposdd operations <br />of Flaming Gorge Reservoir, the Service has contracted to perform <br />several biological and hydrological studies. This report is meant <br />to serve as the technical documentation and partial completion <br />report for one of the hydrological studies. <br />The purpose of this particular study is to evaluate the operation <br />of Flaming Gorge Reservoir under differing operational schemes <br />using an accounting type hydrologic model. These schemes are <br />being designed and tested as the study progresses and have as <br />their ultimate goal the improvement of habitat conditions for <br />endangered Colorado River fishes while minimizing the impact on <br />power revenues and operational flexibility. <br />A secondary purpose of the study is to extend the HYDrological <br />River Operations Study System (HYDROSS) model to include the <br />operation of Fontenelle and Taylor Draw Reservoirs. Fontenelle <br />Reservoir is important to the study because it is the starting <br />point of the Colorado River Simulation System (CRSS) model on the <br />Green River, and as such provides an ideal linking point between <br />the two models. Taylor Draw Reservoir, on the White River, is <br />important to the study in that the Service has identified Colorado <br />River Squawfish in the vicinity of the Reservoir and the operation <br />of Taylor Draw Reservoir is critical in modeling the White River <br />correctly. <br />These extensions were also included in the study so'that the <br />Service could have a comprehensive model of the Upper Green River <br />which accurately reflects flow conditions at each of the habitat <br />sites selected for intensive evaluation as a part of Flaming Gorge <br />Inter-Agency Agreement No. 6-AA-40-04070. The study will also <br />facilitate implementation of a new version of the HYDROSS <br />hydrological model which has enhanced reservoir operations <br />capabilities. <br />HYDROSS 3.0 was recently completed by the Bureau of Reclamation's <br />Billings office and was provided to the Service for testing and <br />use in the Upper Colorado River Basin. The advantage to HYDROSS <br />3.0 over previous versions is that it uses five reservoir index <br />levels and has the capability of balancing reservoirs based upon <br />user input capacity targets. <br />1