PRRIP North Platte 04/20/2010 - Laserfiche WebLink

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k WATER YEAR 2010 PROJECTIONS AND EA RELEASE PRIORITIES Water Year 2010 Projected Water Supply The Districts provided the following predictions for SNI and Type -of -Year for WY09 to the EA Manager on October 2, 2009. Item SNI, October through March SNI, October through April Type -of -Year Prediction 325,000 of 385,000 of . 394,750 Dry The Type -of -Year is based on the predicted SNI (325,000 af) and Lake McConaughy carry -over contents on October 1, 2009 (874,000 af). Predictions of SNI for WY10 are slightly less than the actual values for WY09. Water Year 2010, Projected CNPPID Irrigation Season Operations Both a shorter than normal irrigation season and slightly reduced delivery rate of irrigation water are planned for WY10; a 15 inches per acre allocation over a ten -week period, as opposed to a normal delivery of 15 to 18 inches per acre over a 12 -week season. It will be the sixth consecutive year of below - normal deliveries, although the 15 inch allocation is within the range of water typically used by customers under no allocation, depending on weather conditions. Elwood Reservoir will be used for irrigation for the first time since 2004. Elwood will be filled in the spring, reaching peak storage near the beginning of irrigation season, and then used to supplement irrigation deliveries through the E65 Canal system. Elwood may also receive water if appropriate under the Flow Attenuation Plan, or if opportunities to capture significant natural flow excesses arise. If drought conditions return, very low flows could again be expected to occur at Grand Island during summer and fall. Water Year 2010 Environmental Account Release Priorities Carry -over High Based on the improvement to "dry" conditions for the 2010 water year, the Districts' conservation -mode operation plan, and flow conditions experienced during the 2002 to 2009 "very dry" water years, the Service has identified EA release priorities for each seasonal period as described in Table 2. WY10 priorities are somewhat different than those for WY09, primarily to reflect the higher priority of carry -over to prepare for future years' Short Duration High Flow event releases. However, the Service will continue to exercise its flexibility in responding to changing seasonal and daily hydrologic and biotic conditions in making EA release decisions. EA Release Priorities for WY10 (all periods not listed are prioritized as "Low "): Oct 1 —Nov 15 2,400 whooping crane, waterfowl Medium/Low NONE Feb 16 — Mar 15 3,350 system processes (e.g. pulse) Medium/Low NONE Mar 23 —May 10 2,400 whooping crane, others Medium/Low NONE May 11 — Sept 15 1,200 least tern, piping plover Medium Carry -over High Based on the improvement to "dry" conditions for the 2010 water year, the Districts' conservation -mode operation plan, and flow conditions experienced during the 2002 to 2009 "very dry" water years, the Service has identified EA release priorities for each seasonal period as described in Table 2. WY10 priorities are somewhat different than those for WY09, primarily to reflect the higher priority of carry -over to prepare for future years' Short Duration High Flow event releases. However, the Service will continue to exercise its flexibility in responding to changing seasonal and daily hydrologic and biotic conditions in making EA release decisions.