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. . .i Colorado Water Conservation Board July 24, 2006 Page 3 4. Gunnison River basin: The runoff is well below average and there are calls on the Uncompahgre River and numerous small streams in the basin. Blue Mesa Reservoir achieved an "operational spill" on June 17 at 1.7 feet below the spillway, We are expecting to have to administer a call by the Gunnison RICO water right if conditions remain as is. There won't be many rights impacted since little new development has occurred since the right was decreed. 5, Colorado River mainstem: The Shoshone hydro plant placed a call today for its junior priority. We will begin curtailing rights junior to Dillon Reservoir to meet this call and as river flows decrease we will curtail additional rights, The USFWS called for releases of 100 cfs from Wolford Mountain and Green Mountain reservoirs for fish flows in the 15 mile reach today. 6. Vampa, White and North Platte River basins: The flows throughout these basins are below average with the White River having the best flow conditions, The flows in the North Platte basin are well below average and the Michigan and Illinois River and tributaries have been on call but with the ranchers haying, the calls are off. The Steamboat RICO could have called this year if the proper measuring devices had been installed and we expect them to be in place by next year. 7. San Juan and Dolores River basins: The flows have been very low and dry conditions persist. The La Plata River Compact administration has been very difficult and we have been rotating deliveries on five-day intervals to Colorado and New Mexico water users. I received a letter dated July 14, 2006 from John D'Antonio, New Mexico State Engineer, stating that even with the rotation between states, that they expected us to deliver one-half the flows at Hesperus irregardless of channel losses. We have totally curtailed Colorado users during the five-day rotation to New Mexico and have bypassed sufficient water in the Colorado rotation to keep the channel "wet" so that losses will be reduced, If flows continue to drop, we will go to a "split river" administration and allow Colorado users to divert above the dry reach that develops in drought years and New Mexico users to have available flows below the dry reach. This may result in friction with New Mexico, but it is all we can do without wasting water attempting to deliver through the dry reach.