BOARD02617

• Board Meeting Date: 3/24/2003
• Description: CWCB Director's Report
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Memo

monitor California agricultural water uses. Please note that preliminary use estimates for 2002
exceeded even the 3.85 MAP level, thus there is a lot of work for California to do if they are going to
complete the QSA and meet interim surplus guideline criteria.

.

February 1 Forecast of 2002 Year-End Colorado River
Water Use by the California Agricultural Agencies

5

_ 4
'"
4!
e 3
o
IV
-
o
~ 2
.2

:E 1

o
JFMAMJ JASONDJ

First of Month

3.850 MAF
- 2003 Target = 3.74 MAF
. . . . . . . 2006 Target = 3.64 MAF
- , - . - 2009 Target = 3.53 MAF
- - - - 2012 Target = 3.47 MAF
____ Year-End Forecast
-+-- Use This Year

.

Glen Canyon Dam Experimental Flows: The Adaptive Management Workgroup, over Colorado's
objections, recommended an experimental flow test similar to the 1996 Beach\Habitat Building Flow
in which releases from Glen Canyon Dam were made in excess of power plant capacity to test the
ability of those operations to conserve sediment resources.

The primary purposes of the Water Year 2002-2004 experimental flows are to improve retention of
sediment resources in the Colorado River Ecosystem and to benefit native fish, primarily the
endangered Humpback Chub. The secondary purpose of the experiment is to improve the Lees Ferry
trout fishery through reductions in Rainbow Trout densities, which are expected to result in improved
growth rates and health of the remaining trout, and preserve the blue ribbon character of that fishery.

Sediment inputs were not sufficient to run flows for sediment conservation purposes this year. Thus,
beginning in January and continuing through March releases will range between 20,000 cfs and 5,000
cfs in attempts to reduce spawning and recruitment of non-native fish. The high flows will be held for
about 9 hours at time and the low flows for about 8 hours with the remaining hours being in transition.
Release volumes during January, February and March will be 788,000, 712,000 and 788,000 acre-feet
respectively, with daily average flows of around 12,800 cfs. The total release volume for the year will
still be 8.23 MAP. The environmental assessment documents can be found on Reclamations Upper
Colorado Region website.

Staff has also been intensively involved in detennining which activities should be part of the strategic
plan and the prioritization of those activities and the development of the annual work plan and program
budget. Also, staff is participating in the development of a comprehensive action plan aimed at .
conserving the Humpback Chub.

24