BOARD01318

• Board Meeting Date: 9/13/2005
• Description: CWCB Director's Report
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Memo

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Colorado River Water Use: As of August 1,2005, storage in the four major Upper Basin reservoirs
increased by 140,760 acre-feet and storage in the Lower Basin reservoirs decreased by 170,700 acre-feet
during July. Total system active storage as of August 18 was 35.695 million acre-feet (MAF), or 60
percent of capacity, which is 5.044 MAF more than one year ago.

The preliminary end-of-year measure for 2004 California agricultural consumptive use of Colorado River
water under the first three priorities and the sixth priority of the 1931 California Seven Party Agreement
was reported as 3.524 MAF. Tracking of use in 2005 is shown below through August I, with forecasted
uses at the end of 2005 of approximately 3.552 MAF. The target under the Interim Surplus Guidelines
crSG) for the end of 2003 was 3.740 MAF, and the target for 2006 is 3.640 MAF, thus California is in
substantial compliance with the ISG.

August 1 Forecast of 2005 Year-End Colorado River
Water Use by the California Agricultural Agencies

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3.850 MAF
.- 2003 Target = 3.74 MAF
. 2006 Target = 3.64 MAF
-. -. - 2009 Target = 3.53 MAF
_ - - - 2012 Target = 3.47 MAF
___ Year-End Forecast
-+- Use This Year

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First of Month

Green Mountain HUP Operations: Flows in most of the Colorado basin have been higher than in
recent years but are declining, as is characteristic in August. The USFWS is using the water available in
designated pools in various reservoirs to meet the IS-Mile Reach target flow of 1240 cfs. The HOP
managing entities made a surplus declaration in August, allowing water in the HOP in excess of expected
demands to be released to further assist in meeting the IS-Mile Reach target flow. Releases of HOP
surplus began in mid-August. River conditions were altered for a few weeks in August when the
Shoshone powerplant operations were disrupted by a rock slide in their tunnel. Repairs have been
completed and Shoshone powerplant is back online.

Gunnison River Basin

Aspinall Unit Operations August 25, 2005 Meeting:
The following are highlights from the meeting held at the Elk Creek Visitors Center:
I. Runoff into the Aspinall Unit was significantly lower than expected. Brenda Alcorn of the
Colorado Basin River Forecast Center (CBRFC) gave a presentation describing how the CBRFC

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