Operating Criteria Adopted for Narrows Reservoir

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The operation of existing off - channel reservoirs between ilersey and the Colorado - Nebraska line were integrated with the k4arrows i in order to satisfy priorities properly and to effect maxi- mum utilization of the water supply under altered conditions induced by the Colorado -Big Thompson and iAue -South i'latte r'rojects and the city of jenver. The following criteria were adhered to in the operation of the river: a. Flows durint winter months were stored in the following order of priority: 1. Off - channel reservoirs above Narrows Dam were filled and kept full until the beginning of the irrigation season. 2. Off - channel reservoirs below Narrows Jam were filled and kept full until the beginning of the irrigation season. 3. All flows entering; Narrows apservoir, not regr.d.red for fillin: downstream off - channel reser- voirs, were stored in Narrows. `f') attain maximum utili7ation of the water supply within Colorado, it was necessary to store as much of the return flow originating, below Narrows as possible. ;:secause the; amount of storable return flows bpl ow Narrows cannot be accurately predicted and in order to keep return flows leaving the section to a minimum, the winter flows entering Narrows were stored in !yarrows. If off- channel reservoirs frJled to fill as a result of withholding inflows at Narrows, storage was trans- ferred up - to the amount stored out -of- priority at Narrows or the amount required to fill the downstream reservoirs, whichever was the smaller. 4. As per the South Platte itiver Compact, 35,000 arse -feet originating below :alzac were to be stored annually by the potential bedgwick eroject. 5. As per the bouth Platte liver Compact, 500 second -feet were to be delivered to the potential Perkins County Project. b. Flows during; the Fummer months were assigned to users in the following order of priority: Fn