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<br />Gunnison River Basin <br /> <br />BLM Wild and Scenic River Recommendation: On Mar. 14 the BLM released its draft Resource <br />Management Plan!EIS for the Gunnison Gorge National Recreation Area. The release marks the <br />beginning of a 90-day comment period. Public meeting!i are scheduled on April 8,9 and 10. <br /> <br />In 1977, a study recommended that l4-miles of the G~ison River downstream from the Gunnison <br />Gorge be designated by Congress as a Wild River. Appendix B of the Plan!EIS reexamined the river as <br />well as other streams in the planning area and makes recommendations that four river segments be <br />added to the Wild and Scenic River system. <br /> <br />A copy of the Plan and newsletters can be reviewed online at www.gunnison-gorge-eis.com. <br /> <br />Aspinall Unit Reservoir Operations: Flows through the Black Canyon of the Gunnison continue to <br />run around 250 cfs and will through the end of March. Reclamation has issued a press release <br />indicating that they will maintain a minimum flow of only 250 cfs through the Black <br />Canyon\Gunnison Gorge this winter or until runoff forecasts indicate higher releases and a return to <br />the 300 cfs decreed minimum are justified. As of the end of February, Blue Mesa live storage was <br />292,300 AF or 35% of capacity. Blue Mesa gained about 10,000 AF of storage during January and <br />February. The March 1, 2003, most probable April thrqugh July forecast for Blue Mesa Reservoir <br />inflow is 520,000 AF or 72% of average. If the forecast does not improve, and with maintaining 250 <br />cfs outflow, Blue Mesa will still be about 248,000 AF sport of full. Thus, we still see a need to <br />consider water reduction measures for next year, as the drought appears to continue. There will be an <br />Aspinall Unit operations meeting from 12:30-3 :00 on Mar. 27 at the Pavilion in Montrose to further <br />discuss the situation. <br /> <br />Black Canyon - Federal Reserved Water Rights Quantification: CWCB staff continues to serve as <br />part of Colorado's negotiating team working with other Colorado water users and a number of Federal <br />agencies towards the quantification of the National Park Service's decreed instream flow federal <br />reserved water right. Progress on this matter continues ~o be very slow, however, we believe we're <br />close to having a generic stipulation that would likely remove many of the individual objectors from <br />the case. <br /> <br />Gunnison River Flow Recommendations: Staff continues to work with the Upper Colorado River <br />Recovery Program on objections raised to the proposed! flow recommendations for the Gunnison River. <br />The recommendations have been revised several times by the principal investigator in response to <br />comments from program participants. Our chief concerns remain water availability, flood potential, <br />and the n.eed for the large peaks recommended given th~t they are not will supported by the channel <br />morphology research. We anticipate revised recommerldations for consideration by the Biology <br />Committee in near future. There will be a 30-45 day review period for the Committee. Ifthere is still <br />opposition, the recommendations will be referred to th~ Management Committee for further action. <br />Reclamation has indicated that they anticipate beginning an EIS process on Aspinall Unit operations to <br />implement the flow recommendations or a reasonable alternative to them late in FY 2003. <br /> <br />Pathfinder Project - Status and Upcoming Meetings: The Pathfinder Project is a local community- <br />based group, convened in the spring of 2000 by the u.S. Forest Service, to identify instream flow <br />needs for the surface waters of the Grand Mesa, Uncoll].pahgre, and Gunnison National Forests <br />(GMUG). The group strives to integrate local interests; science-based analysis, and Forest Service <br />management objectives within the framework of state and federal laws, to explore ways ofmaintaining <br />adequate streamflows in the GMUG forests. The recoriunendations that come from the Pathfinder <br />Project may play an integral role in the on-going forest plan revision process. The Pathfinder goal is to <br />strike a balance between healthy stream environments ijl1d human water needs. <br /> <br />The Pathfinder Project Steering Committee is compris~d oflocal stakeholders representing a broad <br />range of interests. Participants include federal agencie~, state water management and fish and wildlife <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />26 <br />