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<br />/ll/;.:;-ch~=-II <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />Colorado Water Conservation Board <br /> <br />Department of Natural Resources <br /> <br />721 State Centennial Building <br />1313 Sherman Street <br />Denver, Colnrado 80203 <br />Phone (303) 866-3441 <br />FAJ{ (303)866~74 <br /> <br />STATE OF COLORADO <br /> <br />- <br /> <br />Roy Romer <br />Governor <br /> <br />James S. Lochhead <br />Ex,,",utive Director, DNR <br /> <br />November 22, 1994 <br /> <br />Daries C. Lile, P.E. <br />Director, CWCB <br /> <br />Ms. Carol DeAngelis <br />U.S. Bureau of Reclamation <br />Grand Junction Projects Office <br />P,O, Box 60340 <br />Grand Junction, Colorado 81506 <br /> <br />. Ref: Aspinall Unit Operation Matrix <br /> <br />",Cl <br />.-_. <br /> <br />Dear Carol: <br /> <br />The Colorado Water Conservation Board generally supports an operational philosophy for the <br />Aspinall Unit (formerly Curecanti Unit) which embraces the following concepts. The Board suggests <br />the following order of priority for satisfying as many of these concepts as possible. <br /> <br />I) <br /> <br />Releases should be coordinated in a manner which continues to provide the amount of water <br />that has historically been available to water users downstream of the Aspinall Unit. Historic <br />releases have usually been sufficient to keep downstream water users whole except in severe <br />dry years. The Aspinall Unit should not place a direct call for water under its water rights <br />in a manner which violates the spirit and intent of the 60,000 acre foot subordination described <br />in the 1959 Economic Justification Report for the Curecanti Unit of the Colorado River <br />Storage Project. <br /> <br />1 <br />.,j <br /> <br />Releases should also be such that the 300 cfs minimum bypass flow for the Black Canyon <br />below the Gunnison Tunnel is satisfied. This bypass when added to the tributary inflowS will <br />generally satisfy downstream water rights except during drought years. During drought years <br />releases should be increased to the extent possible to keep downstream water users whole, <br />particularly if releases to maintain 300 cfs for endangered fish below Redlands are made. In <br />1994, this required a Gunnison mainstem draft of between 550 and 600 cfs at the gage below <br />the Gunnison Tunnel. Providing enough water out of Crystal to keep mainstem senior water <br />rights from impacting upstream juniors should be the top priority in developing the annual <br />operating plan. <br />