BOARD02469

• Board Meeting Date: 7/18/2005
• Description: CWCB Director's Report
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Memo

In their June final inflow forecast, the National Weather Service is forecasting 9.0 million
acre-feet of unregulated inflow to Lake Powell this April through July, which is 113
percent of average. The water surface elevation of Lake Powell is projected to increase
through mid-July. Current projections show Lake Powell reaching a peak water surface
elevation in July 2005 of about 3,607 feet, which will be about 51 percent of capacity. It
is important to note that there is still some uncertainty with these projections as weather
conditions fluctuate.

Drought Loosens Grip On Flows In The Green River Below Flaming Gorge Dam:
Reclamation reported that wetter spring snowpack and runoff conditions returned this
year to the Green River Basin in northeast Utah and northwest Colorado following
several years of drought. Flows in the Green River near Jensen, Utah, peaked at 19,600
cubic-feet-per-second (cfs) on May 26, and remained high through early June due largely
to higher than expected unregulated flows out of the Yampa Ri veL

Earlier this year, Reclamation, a partner with the Upper Colorado River Endangered Fish
Recovery Program, worked cooperatively to arrange to provide additional releases from
Flaming Gorge Dam, if needed during spring runoff, to support requested Green River
target flows near Jensen. Target flows of 14,000, 16,000 and 18,000 cfs were established
according to requirements of planned research studies that had been postponed because of
years of drought.

This small change in dam operations did not result in an unusual spring peak or
unexpected levels of water entering the floodplain. Since 1962, peak flows at Jensen of
18,000 cfs or greater occurred 24 out of 44 years, or 55% of the time. During the peak
flow this year, more than 75% of the volume of flow in the Green River near Jensen was
from the Yampa River and not from Flaming Gorge Dam.

Reclamation June 2005 Update on Fontenelle: Fontenelle Reservoir is currently
releasing 6000 cfs and the elevation is approximately 6494 feet above sea level (12 feet
below the spillway crest). Releases will remain high during the months of June and July.
Inflows are averaging nearly 7000 cfs over the past 10 days and the reservoir elevation
has been increasing.

Open forum discussions on Fontenelle operations take place at the "Fontenelle Reservoir
Working Group" meetings. The Working Group is a forum for information exchange
between Reclamation and other parties associated with the operation of Fontenelle
Reservoir. The next Working Group meeting is scheduled for August 18, 2005 and will
be held in Seedskadee National Wildlife Refuge. The meeting will begin at 10:00 am. For
more information about the Fontenelle Working Group, contact Ed Vidmar at 801-379-
1182.

Colorado River Salinity Forum Work Group to Hold August Work Group Meeting: A
Work Group meeting has been called for August 30-31 in Salt Lake City.

Wyoming Water Development Commission Considering Pipeline: The Wyoming
Water Development Commission is examining the feasibility of building a pipeline to

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