BOARD00162

• Board Meeting Date: 7/13/1998
• Description: WSP Section - Colorado River Basin Issues - Aspinall Operations - 1998 Planned Spring Break
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Memo

~ ot:? ~R1MENT OF THE INre-

~........~

. "-~U OF ~ECL~M~-'

Western Colorado Area Office -- Northern Division
Grand Junction, Colorado
Carol DeAngelis [phone]
For Release May 12, 1998

,., hTQ.e;.;n""'e~r: I

Spring Flows Planned for Gunnison River

Beginning Tuesday morning, May 19, the Bureau of Reclamation will increase releases

from Crystal Reservoir (part of the Aspinall Unit which also includes Blue Mesa and Morrow
,

Point Reservoirs), The releases wiII raise Gunnison River flows through the Black Canyon of

the Gunnison National Monument and the Gunnison Gorge, Flows in this area are currently

around 1,200 cubic feet per second (cfs), On Tuesday, releases wiII be increased 500 cfs per day

.

until they reach 3,000-3,300 cfs in the Gorge and Monument on May 22, It is anticipated these

levels will be maintained throughout the Memorial Day weekend,

Currently, if runoff conditions allow, plans are to begin reducing flows after May 26 to

around 1,500 - 1,800 cfs by the end of May, Flows are expected to remain at this level until

mid-July,

Over the last month, the forecasted inflow to the Aspinall Unit has increased from 86

,
percent to 99 percent of nonna!. The rele<,lses, designed to more closely match natural spring

peak conditions, should benefit downstream endangered fish as well as overall fish habitat,

riparian vegetation, and river channel conditions,

.

Weekday flow infonnation is available by calling Reclamation's toll-free number
1-800-276-4828, Recreation infonnation is also available from the Bureau of Land Management
at 970-249-6306 and the National Park Service at 970-249-1915,
###