BOARD01572

• Board Meeting Date: 3/26/2001
• Description: WSP Section - Gunnison River Basin Issues and Policy Resolution
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Memo

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Colorado Water Conservation Board

Department of Natural Resources

721 State Centennial Building
1313 Sherman Street
Denver. Colorado 80203
Phone [phone]
FAX [phone]

STATE OF COLORADO

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Roy Romer
Governor

November 22, 1994

James S. Lochhead
Executive Director. DNR

Daries C. Lile. P .E.
Director. ewCB

Ms. Carol DeAngelis
U.S. Bureau of Reclamation
Grand Junction Projects Office
P.O. Box 60340
Grand Junction, Colorado 81506

Ref: Aspinall Unit Operation Matrix

.'~ 'l Dear Carol:
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The Colorado Water Conservation Board generally supports an operational philosophy for the
Aspinall Unit (formerly Curecanti Unit) which embraces the following concepts. The Board suggests
the following order of priority for satisfying as many of these c_oncepts as possible.

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Releases should be coordinated in a manner which continues to provide the amount of water
that has historically been available to water users downstream of the Aspinall Unit. Historic
releases have usually been sufficient to keep downstream water users whole except in severe
dry years. The Aspinall Unit should not place a direct call for water under its water rights
in a manner which violates the spirit and intent of the 60,000 acre f60t subordination described
in the 1959 Economic Justification Report for the Curecanti Unit of the Colorado River
Storage Project.

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Releases should also be such that the 300 cfs 'minimum bypass flow for the Black Canyon
below the Gunnison Tunnel is satisfied. This bypass when added to the tributary inflows will
generally satisfy downstream water rights except during drought years. During drought years
releases should be increased to the extent possible to keep downstream water users whole,
particularly if releases to maintain 300 cfs for endangered fish below Redlands are made. In
1994, this required a Gunnison mainstem draft of between 550 and 600 cfs at the gage below
the Gunnison Tunnel. ProJ!iding ~t!ough_ ~~teJ_ out of Crystal to keep mainstem senior water
rights from impacting upstream juniors should be the top priority in developing the annual
operating plan.