BOARD02312

• Board Meeting Date: 11/19/2001
• Description: CWCB Director's Report
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Memo

SUBJECT:

Gunnison Basin Issues

Dan McAuliffe
Deputy Director

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

STATE OF COLORADO
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MEMORANDUM

Bill Owens
Governor

TO:
FROM:
DATE:

Rod Kuharich
Randy Seaholm
November 8, 2001

Greg E. Walcher
Exec:utive Director

Rod Kuharich
Director

Colorado River Storage Proiect and the Asoinall Unit

The Aspinall Unit (Blue Mesa, Morrow Point and (;ryst~1 Reservoirs) is one of four initial storage units
(Glen Canyon, Flaming Gorge, and Navajo are the others) constructed under the Colorado River Storage
Project Act of 1956 (CRSPA), CRSPA was enacted:

"In order to initiate the comprehensive development of the water resources of the Upper Colorado River
Basin, for the purpose, among others, of regulating the flow of the Colorado River, storing water for
beneficial consumptive use, making it possible for thre States of the Upper Basin to utilize, consistently wit_
the provisions of the Colorado River Compact, the apportionment's made to and among them in th.
Colorado Ri1Jer Compact and Upper Colorado River Compact, respectively, providing for the reclamation of
arid and semiarid land, for the control of floods, rmd for the generation of hydroelectric power, as an
incident of the foregoing purposes. " '

In short, to assist the Upper Colorado River Basin States in meeting their delivery obligation to the Lower
Colorado River Basin States under the existing Coordinated Long-Range Operating Criteria (8.23 maf
annually), to provide water for beneficial consumptive use and to generate power revenues to help pay for
participating storage projects under CRSP A. It shollld b,e noted that the Upper Basin delivery obligation to
the Lower Basin is only 7.5 MAF plus half of any shortage to the Mexican Treaty, not half of the Mexican
Treaty as described in the existing criteria. '

. Blue Mesa
Total Storage - 940,232 AF
Live Storage - 829,000 AF
Power Outlet - 2,650 cfs (all delivered as part of the flow through the River Outlet)
River Outlet - 8,000 cfs
Generating Capacity - 2 generators @49.0MW each (98 MW total)
. Morrow Point .
Total Storage - 117,190 AF
Live Storage - 117,025 AF
Power Outlet - 5,050 cfs
River Outlet - 1,500 cfs
Generating Capacity - 2 generators @ 86,667 MW each (175,334 MW Total)

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