BOARD01421

• Board Meeting Date: 9/13/2005
• Description: WSP Section - Aspinall EIS - No Action Alternative Discussion
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Memo

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November 22, 1994
Page Two

The Board is of the opinion that operations at Aspinal1, to date, have provided adequate
releases to offset the depletions and satisfy commitments associated with the biological
opinions for the Dallas and Dolores projects. .

2) Blue Mesa should be filled by the end of July each year.

3) Storage in Blue Mesa should be reduced to 581,000 AF of live Storage by December 31 each
year to help alleviate the potential for ice jam flooding between December I and April 30 .
above Blue Mesa Reservoir. Furthermore, this drawdown and subsequent additional.
drawdoWn which may occur based on llIDoff forecasts provides the reservoir space required
to regulate spring runoff' and min;m;'7f'! downstream flooding. Wmter carry over storage
should not be increased simply to provide a spring peak.

4)

The bypass or spill of water should be avoided to the extent possible at all three reservoirs.
This is required by the Colorado River Storage Project Act which authorized the construction
of the AspiDall UDit. High flows should not be forced to bypass the powcrplants or cause
flOoding in the- Delta area if such is avoidable. To the extent forecast and llIDoff conditions
allow, peak spring releases from the Aspinal1 UDit should be timed to coincide 'with peak
flows on the North Fork and Uncompahgre. but the peak at Whitewater shouli be no more
than 20,000 cis in order to minimi'7~ the potential for downstream flooding ani! flood damage.

5)

Release rates should not be such that reservoir Ieve1s drop below minimum power head except
during extreme drought. .

6)

Power generation shoUld be the next consideration. Ramping tates should be as large as
possible and seasonally adjusted after taking into consideration the needs of the gold medal
trout fishery. endangered fish and other relevant recreation and project -safety concerns. We
generally concur with the recommended ramping rates suggested by the Colorado Division of
Wildlife which are to ramp up at 500 cfs/day, ramp down at 250 cfslday and tIy to limit daily
fluctuations to around 200 cfs, partIcu1arly during fish spawning and hatch times.

7)

To the extent possible, Reclamation should work with Western to reduce fluctuation
restrictions on Morrow Point and Crystal. We are of the opinion that there must be some way
to adjust tow" boat operations on Morrow Point to provide Western with some additional
operational flexibility. Release restrictions on power operations in 1994 resulted in lost
revenues for Western of 53.5 million al: Glen Canyon, 51.5 million at the Gorge and 51.5
million at Aspinall, for a total of 56.5 million in lost revenues during 1994.

If possible. after satisfying the above, the Black Canyon flows should be kept at 80Q-1200 cfs
to satisfy rafters between ~ril15 !lDd 9ct~~ 39. .

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