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Concerning the specific operation -of the Redlands Diversion Dam, flow is diverted into the <br />Redlands Canal year- round. About 60 cfs of irrigation water is pumped or diverted from the <br />canal to serve residents of the Redlands Mesa. The irrigation season lasts approximately 6 <br />months from April 15 to October 15. The rest of the year, the power canal is operated solely <br />for generation of hydroelectric power. Redlands Water and Power Company operates the <br />diversion dam to maintain the 750 cfs flow into their canal as much as possible. <br />Redlands Water and Power Company has the following water rights, totalling 750 cfs: <br />670 cfs - priority date July 31, 1905. <br />Allowed usages: irrigation, domestic stock, and power generation. <br />80 cfs - priority date June 26, 1941. <br />Allowed usages: power generation and irrigation. <br />There are approximately 45 cfs of absolute water rights between the Redlands Canal and the <br />gage at Whitewater, including the city of Grand Junction's water right of 18.6 cfs (the city also <br />has a conditional right of 101.4 cfs). The city's right is designed to supplement other water <br />supplies; the conditional right has not been used and may or may not be used in the future. <br />Impacts <br />In the future, whether or not the proposals outlined in this assessment are implemented, it is <br />projected that there will be more administration of water rights and uses in the Gunnison Basin <br />due to a variety of factors. First of all, a Biological Opinion on the Aspinall Unit will be <br />prepared in approximately 2 years that will recommend operation changes to help protect and <br />recover endangered fish species downstream in the Gunnison and Colorado Rivers. <br />Recommendations will likely call for higher spring releases and lower releases later in the year. <br />This would be more like historic conditions and could lead to more calls on the river. A second <br />factor that is expected to come in to play is the quantification of the reserved water right for the <br />Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Monument. This right is established and is senior to <br />Aspinall Unit storage rights but its quantity in flow (cfs) has not been determined. When this <br />is determined, a set quantity of water will be required in the river through the Monument, and <br />this may affect water available to junior water rights upstream in the Upper Gunnison Basin and <br />water storage in Blue Mesa Reservoir. Future sales of Aspinall Unit water may also result in <br />- -- - increased administration of water- rights.-- -Finally, there are several -water projects that could - - <br />potentially be constructed upstream from the Redlands Diversion Dam, including the Dominguez <br />Reservoir Project between Delta and Grand Junction and transmountain diversion projects <br />studied to divert Gunnison flows to eastern Colorado. In summary, it is highly probable that <br />there will be changes in Gunnison River flows in the future that may lead to increased <br />administration of water rights with or without construction of the fish passageway or <br />implementation of the interim water agreement. <br />15 <br />