BOARD01355

• Board Meeting Date: 5/19/2003
• Description: WSP Section - Colorado River Basin Issues - Coordinated Facilities Operations Study
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Memo

STATE OF COLORADO

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Colorado Water Conservation Board

Department of Natural Resources
1313 Sherman Street, Room 721
Denver, Colorado 80203
Phone: [phone]
FAX: [phone]
www.cwcb.state.co.us

MEMORANDUM

Bill Owens
Governor

Greg E. Walcher
Executive Director

TO:

Colorado Water Conservation Board Members

Rod Kuharich
CWCB Director

FROM:

Randy Seaholm ~
Chief, Water Supply Protection

Dan McAuliffe
Deputy Director

DATE: May 12, 2003

SUBJECT: Agenda Item 27, May 19-20, 2003, Board Meeting-
Colorado River Basin Issues -
Coordinated Facilities Operations Study

Backl!round

. Pursuant to the IS-Mile Reach Programmatic Biological Opinion (PBO), enhancement ofthe
spring peak was identified as important for habitat formation and maintenance. Specifically, the
PBO stated the following:

"The Service has identified target flows in the 15-Mile Reach in the range of 12,900 to 29,000 cft,
because flows of this magnitude have been shown to mobilize gravellcobble substrate (pitlick et ai,
1996).

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The second initiative is the Coordinated Management of Colorado Water Division Number 5
Facilities. This initiative is intended to assess water management facilities and operations that can
be coordinated to benefit fish habitat in spring and late summer. This analysis will include, but not
be limited to examining options similar to what is proposed for operations of Ruedi Reservoir where
water is made available to the fish until needed by water interests. The intent of the initiative is for
project sponsors to secure a firm water supply for project purposes, and to utilize flexibility that may
currently exist to provide water for enhancement of the spring peak. Other options being evaluated
include storing or withholding release of available flows in excess of the Service's winter flow
recommendations for release during the spring peak, and examining the feasibility and benefits of an
off channel storage facility somewhere below the Shoshone Power Plant. The amount of water
available, benefits, physical and legal constraints, and recommended options will be determined
through the analysis and presented to the Recovery Program. The intent is to provide additional
water up to approximately 20,000 acrejeetlyear, without diminishing project yield or causing
project sponsors to incur significant costs, for meeting fish flow needs either short-term or under
certain hydrologic conditions (above what is currently targeted for coordinated reservoir
Flood Protection. Water Supply Planning and Finance. Stream and Lake Protection
Water Supply Protection. Conservation and Drought Planning