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<br />The main issue in this review, changes to the NPDES discharge permit policies for saline discharges, . <br />have raised some questions in Wyoming, but none in Colorado. The Work Group will be meeting in <br />Phoenix on Sept. 5 and 6 to hear comments from the Lower Basin and revise the 2002 Review Report <br />accordingly. The Forum will then meet in California t/1e last week of October to authorize submission <br />of the review to the US EP A and to the individual stat~ WQC agencies in the basin. The Colorado <br />WQCC is tentatively scheduled to adopt the review at ~ts January 2003 meeting. <br /> <br />The USDA's Environmental Quality Incentives Program [EQIP] has received additional funding and <br />new authorities with which to carry out salinity control and other conservation programs an agricultural <br />land. Staff attended two organizational meetings in August [Montrose and Glenwood Springs] to <br />discuss priorities for use of the program with local NRCS and soil district representatives. <br /> <br />Gunnison River; Basin Issues <br /> <br />Aspinall Operations: The USBR held its late summer Aspinall Operations meeting on August 20th to <br />discuss 2002 operations and conditions. April- July inflow into Blue Mesa Reservoir was <br />approximately 22% of average. 2002 inflow was sligl)tly less than that of 1977, making it the lowest <br />inflow observed since completion of the reservoir and'probably the lowest inflow in more than 50 years. <br /> <br />June 30 Blue Mesa content was approximately 63% of average and 54% of full (381,000 AF short of <br />full). Due to changes in operational policy, Blue Mesa spring storage was higher in 2002 than in 1977, <br />which has allowed the USBR to at least partially meet more of the needs in the basin despite the more <br />severe drought. August Blue Mesa contents were approximately 50% of average. <br /> <br />Flows through the Black Canyon have remained at 50:0 - 600 cfs throughout the summer to meet <br />agreed-upon reduced demands at Red1ands Diversion !Dam and the USFWS fish ladder. Winter flows . <br />through the Black Canyon will be reduced to approximately 300 cfs beginning October 1st. <br /> <br />Blue Mesa is not expected to fill next spring even under wet conditions. <br /> <br />National Park Federal Reserved Water Right Quantification: The Colorado Supreme Court decided <br />that the NPS Black Canyon Reserved Right Filing wduld be heard in Division 4 Water Court. Objectors <br />to the NPS filing, including the state of Colorado, Colorado River Water Conservation District and <br />Upper Gunnison River Water Conservancy District, Worked together to submit proposed conditions for a <br />stay of litigation to facilitate negotiations. The NPS and Department of Justice received the proposal on <br />Mar. 8. The Department of Justice stated that they are postponing their response to the proposal until <br />June because the new administration at the Department of Interior has ordered an internal review of the <br />NPS claim and will hold a meeting in early June to discuss. The last word from Justice is that they <br />remain unable to agree on a position. As a result, J01)l1 McClow has filed a motion to re-refer the case to <br />the water judge and a case management hearing is scheduled for October 3rd. We will be discussing <br />litigation strategy further in executive session. ! <br /> <br />Endangered Fish Flow Recommendation Update: :The USFWS has proposed revisions to their <br />Guunison Basin Flow Recommendations and are currently sending those revisions to the Recovery <br />Program participants for comment and review. The revisions address complaints from several objectors <br />that the USFWS incorrectly interpreted already published flow recommendations for small sections of <br />the Gunnison River produced by John Pitlick for the ;Recovery Program. The USFWS has revised their <br />previous recommendations to match Pitlick's work. <br /> <br />One improvement is that no peak flows are recomm~nded in dry and moderately dry years. Another <br />improvement is that wet year peak flows will be redifced from 18,000 cfs to 14,400 cfs, which alleviates. <br />concerns of increased flooding at Delta. However, CWCB staff are concerned that the recommendations <br />now have an extended duration that may result in a higher total water request than the original flow <br /> <br />18 <br />