BOARD02469

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

off and have been lagging behind the expected forecasted runoff levels. Precipitation
during May was recorded at 64 percent of average. The current inflow rate into Blue
Mesa Reservoir is about 3,200 cfs and reservoir releases are averaging about 1,300 cfs.
Blue Mesa's present elevation is 7480.58 feet, which corresponds to a storage content of
about 510,000 acre-feet. To view the most current reservoir elevation, content, inflow
and release, click on "Blue Mesa Reservoir Data" or "Crystal Reservoir Data" at the
Reclamation's website.

On June 3 the National Weather Service's River Forecast Center issued an update to the
seasonal runoff volume forecast for April through July. The forecast is for 670,000 acre-
feet, or 93 percent of normal inflow into Blue Mesa. This is an 80,000 acre-foot
reduction from last month's forecast. Based on this forecast, Blue Mesa Reservoir is not
expected to fill during this year's spring's runoff. It is only forecasted to fill to about
elevation 7509 feet, or about 10 feet from full pool elevation.

Releases from Crystal Powerplant have been decreased to 1,550 cfs as a result of the
diminishing runoff forecast. If the forecasted inflow volume continues to decrease over
the next few weeks, then we may decrease Crystal releases in order to conserve more
water storage in Blue Mesa Reservoir. Current flows on the river below the Gunnison
Diversion Tunnel are now 600 cfs, while the Tunnel is diverting about 950 cfs.

The next meeting of the "Aspinall Unit Working Group" will be held on August 25. At
this meeting, review of last spring and summer reservoir operations, and plans for this
autumn 2005 operations will be discussed. These meetings are open forum discussions
on the Aspinall Unit reservoir operations with many interested groups participating.
Anyone needing further information about these meetings should contact Dan Crabtree in
the Grand Junction Area Office at [phone].

Platte River Basin

Chatfield Reservoir Reallocation Study: In cooperation with some of the study
partners, the Corps of Engineers has drafted language for the federal Water Resources
Development Act (WRDA) Bill that would authorize potential environmental restoration
studies to quantify benefits of certain release patterns out of Chatfield Reservoir intended
for downstream water users. The addition of environmental restoration could
significantly reduce the cost of purchasing water supply storage space in Chatfield
Reservoir. However, the group as a whole will need to evaluate this option and
coordinate closely so as not to delay or cause problems for the original study intent. A
project meeting is scheduled for July 26 to discuss and formulate a plan of action.

During the first half of 2005, the CWCB led meetings and discussions held by the Water
Users. After multiple meetings the Water Users Subcommittee came to the CWCB in
January 2005 with a successful recommendation for the equitable division of storage
space at Chatfield based on the target pool of 20,600 AF. During this process the Water
Users Subcommittee formed into two groups ("The Upstream Group" and the

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