Annual Operating Plan For Colorado River Reservoirs 2004

• Description: Annual Operating Plan For Colorado River Reservoirs 2004
• State: CO
• Date: 3/17/2004
• Title: Annual Operating Plan For Colorado River Reservoirs 2004
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Report/Study

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January 7, 2004 11
6,498.5 feet (1,980.7 meters), on August 4, 2003, which was 7.5 feet (2.3 meters) below the crest of
the spillway.
The most probable April through July inflow of 0.695 maf (857mcm) for water year 2004 far
exceeds Fontenelle's storage capacity of 0.345 maf (426 mcm). Therefore, the most probable and
maximum probable inflow scenarios require releases during the spring that exceed the capacity of the
power plant to avoid uncontrolled spills from the reservoir. It is likely that Fontenelle reservoir will
fill during water year 2004. In order to minimize high spring releases, and to maximize downstream
resources and power production, the reservoir will most likely be drawn down to the minimum pool
relevation of 6,463 feet above sea level (1,970 meters) by early April 2004, which corresponds to a
volume of 0.093 maf (115 mcm) of live storage.
Flaming Gorge Reservoir
For the fourth year in a row, inflows into Flaming Gorge were below normal during water year 2003.
The annual unregulated inflow volume for water year 2003 was 0.764 maf (942 mcm), or 44 percent
of normal. The annual unregulated inflow was only 56 percent of normal in water year 2000, only 43
percent of normal in water year 2001, and only 31 percent of normal in water year 2002. Flaming
Gorge Reservoir did not fill in water year 2003, but the reservoir elevation did recover from 6010.50
feet above sea level at the beginning of water year 2003 to 6,009.8 feet (1,832 meters) above sea
' level by the end of water year 2003. The water year ending reservoir elevation was still 30 feet (9.2
meters) below the full pool elevation of 6,040 feet (1,841 meters).
' A spring peak release of 4,600 cfs (130 cros) was made for a period of 8 days between May 20, 2003,
and May 27, 2003, as called for in the 1992 Final Biological Opinion on the Operation of Flaming
Gorge Dam (BOFG). These releases were made through the power plant and were successfully
' timed to meet peak flows on the Yampa River. The Yampa River peaked at approximately 16,000
cfs (450 cros) on June 3, 2003. Flows on the Green River near Jensen, an important segment of the
Green River for endangered fish, peaked at about 19,000 cfs (538 cros) on June 3, 2003.
In September 2000, a final report titled "Flow and Temperature Recommendations for Endangered
Fishes in the Green River Downstream of Flaming Gorge Dam" (Flaming Gorge Flow
t Recommendations) was published by the Upper Colorado River Recovery Program. The report
compiled and summarized research conducted on endangered fish in the Green River under the
' Upper Colorado River Recovery Program and presents flow recommendations for three segments of
the Green River. Reclamation is in the process of conducting a National Environmental Policy Act
(NEPA) process to determine the best operational alternative for Flaming Gorge Dam to meet these
' flow recommendations. A Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) is scheduled to be
published in the spring of 2004. Completion of the final EIS and Record of Decision (ROD) will
likely occur in the latter half of 2004.
' In water year 2004, until the ROD is finalized, Flaming Gorge Dam will continue to be operated in
accordance with the BOFG. The BOFG calls for high spring releases to occur each year, timed with