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<br />" <br /> <br />Agenda Item 32 <br />March 22 - 23,2005 Board Meeting <br />Page 8 of 13 <br /> <br />capacity, daily fluctuations in the 200 cfs range occur due to changes in Crystal <br />Reservoir elevation (programmable logic control cannot be used at full powerplant <br />capacity). During Crystal Spills, Morrow Point peaking reduced to avoid large daily <br />fluctuations downstream from Crystal. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />o For Morrow Point tour boat operations, the goal is to hold Morrow Point elevation <br />between 7151 and 7158.5 feet during the May 1 to September 15 season. When the <br />tour boat is not in operation, daily fluctuations are normally between elevations 7144 <br />and 7160. <br /> <br />o A spring peak is determined armually by Reclamation with input from the Aspinall <br />operations meetings. "Shapingl" of "excess water" (water that is projected to bypass <br />Crystal powerplant) into a spring peak for general environmental purposes (for example <br />channel maintenance in Gunnison Gorge and Black Canyon, preteetioH removal of <br />riparian vegetation, downstream recreation, charmel maintenance in Delta area, etc)- <br />peak would generally be planned to occur during the spring-early summer period. <br />From January through April the goal will be to operate to release all water through <br />powerp1ants to reduce future bypasses while still giving priority to filling Blue Mesa <br />(flood control may occasionally require early bypasses). The Crystal bypasses, if any, <br />identified based on the May 1 forecast will be used to shape the peak without <br />intentionally bypassing Morrow Point and Blue Mesa Powerplants. It is recognized that <br />ifthe May 1 forecast proves to be higher than the actual inflow, there is 1I some risk of <br />not filling Blue Mesa. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />o Crystal release ramping rates--Individual flow changes should be 100 cfs or less when <br />canyon flows are less than 500 cfs; 200 cfs or less when canyon flows are between 500 <br />and 1,000 cfs, and 300 cfs when canyon flows are above 1,000 cfs. These individual <br />changes can be made every 6-12 hours, if necessary. Higher rates maybe used to react <br />to special circumstances, for example flood control and emergencies. <br /> <br />o Reclamation's historic operations to meet 300 cfs downstream from the Gunnison <br />Tunnel except in certain cases of significant drought (as determined by reservoir <br />elevation projections) and Unit emergencies when releases may be reduced to 200 cfs <br />as measured at the USGS Gage below the Gunnison Tunnel. <br /> <br />o Operate to honor April 2003 Black Canyon Federal Water Right settlement <br />agreement in place (300 cfs Federal reserved right, state instream flow spring <br />right).2 . <br /> <br />1 Shaping would involve "compressing or consolidating" bypass flows into peak. <br />2 Excerpts from agreement: "A federal reserved water right of300 cfs or natural flow, whichever is less, wiIh a 1933 <br />priority date. Such federal water right will satisfY the CWCB's existing instream flow decree...An instream flow water <br />right under Colorado law with a 2003 priority date. Beginning with each year's April 1 forecast from the Colorado River- <br />River Forecast Center, if Blue Mesa is projected to fill and spill by July 31, water beyond that which satisfies present and . <br />future obligations of the authoriied purposes of the Aspinall Unit, as specified in the Colorado River Storage Project Act, <br />43 U.S.C. 620 et seg., as amended through the dale of this agreement, shall be held by the CWCB for decreed instream <br />flow purposes with a 2003 priority date. <br />Flood Protection. Water Project Planning an<;i Finance. Stream and Lake'Protection <br />Water Supply Protection. Conservation Planning <br />