BOARD00612

• Board Meeting Date: 7/13/1998
• Description: WSP Section - Colorado River Basin Issues - Ruedi Reservoir Round II Contracts and Annual Contract for Endangered Fish
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Memo

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Colorado Water Conservation Board
Department of Natural Resources
721 Centennial Building
1313 Sherman Street
Denver, Colorado 80203
Phone: 1303l 866-3441
FAX: [phone]

. STATE OF COLORADO

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MEMORANDUM

Roy Romer
Govemor
James S. Lochhead
Executive Director, ONR
Danes CUle, P.E.
Director, eweB
Peter H. Evans
Acting Direaor, eweB

TO:
FROM:

Colorado Water Conservation Board Members
Randy Seaholm ~
Sue Uppendahl ,:>'t'\
Interstate Streams and Hydrologic Investigations Section
July 8, 1998
Agenda Item 26.k., July 13-14 1998, Board Meeting-
Colorado River Basin Issues -
Ruedi Reservoir Round II Contracts and
Annual Contract for Endangered Fish

DATE:
SUBJECT:

INTRODUCTION

We are still working with U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) and the U.S. Fish &
Wildlife Service (Service) to enable Reclamation to resume the issue ofRuedi Round II water
sales contracts to west slope water users. The Board's guidance is needed with respect to
. differerit potential relationships between Ruedi Reservoir and endangered fish recovery flows
proposed by Reclamation and the Service.

BACKGROUND

Pursuant to the 1987 Biological Opinion on Round II Water Sales for Ruedi Reservoir,
Reclamation has armually provided 5,000 AF of storage water and an additional 5,000 AF of
water via reservoir operations in four out of five years to benefit the endangered fish in the 15
Mile Reach (15 MR) of the Colorado River. This agreement is for a 40 year period that began
in 1989.

In 1991, the Service requested the release of an additional 10,000 AF of storage water from the
unsold portion of water available to Round II sales in Ruedi Reservoir between September 15,
and October 31. This agreement was approved armually from 1991 through 1996 for the benefit
of the endangered fishes in the 15 MR of the Colorado River. This 10,000 AF was in addition
to the 10,000 AF delivered as a result of the Ruedi Round II water sales Biological Opinion. In
1997, the Board approved a contract with certain conditions, but due to high runoff that year, it
was not necessary to execute the contract.

In 1995, Reclamation requested reinitiation of formal consultation pursuant to Section 7 of the
Endangered Species Act for continuance of Ruedi Round II water sales which had taken place