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<br />reservoir levels and the east end ofthe detour will likely be incorporated into a boat ramp for
<br />fishing boat use,
<br />Schedule and Partnership - December weather in Craig is too cold to continue construction; therefore, the
<br />project is shutting down for the season, The large gates for the tower are due on site in February and will
<br />be installed prior to spring runoff,
<br />
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<br />
<br />Agreement Reached on Releases from Green Monntain Reservoir: In the spirit of cooperation and
<br />compromise, Federal and Colorado water officials have reached agreement on how to share Green
<br />Mountain Reservoir water if releases are constrained by concerns about earth movement around the
<br />community of Heeney or by maintenance of the dam,
<br />
<br />The settlement was announced December 9 by representatives of the U,S, Department of the Interior's
<br />Bureau of Reclamation, the Colorado River Water Conservation District, and the Northern Colorado
<br />Water Conservancy District.
<br />
<br />The agreement represents a collaborative resolution to a lawsuit filed by the Colorado River Water
<br />Conservation District and other West Slope water users, The suit contested how Reclamation allocated
<br />Green Mountain water releases in 2002 as a precautionary move to ensure that reservoir draw-down did
<br />not contribute to the pre-existing landslide.
<br />
<br />Reclamation continues to study the ancient earth movement, but has not established what, if any, links
<br />exist between reservoir operations and the landslide,
<br />
<br />Under the settlement agreement, should reservoir operating limitations affect future water deliveries, the
<br />parties agree to carry out water-management measures that include conservation, locating alternative
<br />sources of stored water, and, if necessary, sharing any shortages created by operational limitations at
<br />Green Mountain Reservoir, Neither the lawsuit nor the agreement addresses water shortages caused by
<br />drought.
<br />
<br />.
<br />
<br />Reclamation operates Green Mountain Reservoir as part ofthe federal Colorado-Big Thompson Project
<br />(C-BT), for the benefit of the Northern Colorado Water Conservancy District and West Slope water users.
<br />
<br />Parties to the agreement are the U,S, Department of the Interior's Bureau of Reclamation, Colorado
<br />River Water Conservation District, Northern Colorado Water Conservancy District, Grand Valley Water
<br />Users Association, Orchard Mesa Irrigation District, Grand Valley Irrigation Company, Palisade
<br />Irrigation District, Middle Park Water Conservancy District, and the State of Colorado.
<br />
<br />Colorado River Water Use: As of December I, 2005, storage in the four major Upper Basin reservoirs
<br />decreased by 89,200 acre-feet and storage in the Lower Basin reservoirs decreased by 158,300 acre-feet
<br />during November, Total system active storage as of December 7 was 34.506 million acre-feet (MAF), or
<br />58 percent of capacity, which is 4.461 MAP more than one year ago.
<br />
<br />The preliminary end-of-year measure for 2004 California agricultural consumptive use of Colorado River
<br />water under the first three priorities and the sixth priority of the 1931 California Seven Party Agreement
<br />was reported as 3.524 MAF, Tracking of use in 2005 is shown below through December I, with
<br />forecasted uses at the end of 2005 of approximately 3.354 MAF, The target under the Interim Surplus
<br />Guidelines (ISG) for the end of2003 was 3,740 MAF, and the target for 2006 is 3,640 MAF, thus
<br />California is in substantial compliance with the ISG.
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