BOARD02631

• Board Meeting Date: 3/29/1999
• Description: WSP Section - Colorado River Basin Issues - Ruedi Reservoir - Proposed Contract for the Release of 21,650 AF to Endangered Fish in the 15-Mile Reach
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Memo

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annually to be delivered through the IS-Mile Reach of the Colorado River on a schedule
determined by the Service and another 5,000 af of water through the IS-Mile Reach in 4 years
out ofS. Environmental commitments are listed in detail in chapter 6 of the 1989 Final
Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement for Ruedi Round 11 water sales
(ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT#FSES 89-19) and the Record of Decision
signed January 16, 1990. .

2. Through short-term and/or long-term agreements developed in cooperation with the Service
and CWCB, Reclamation will make up to 21,650 af ofRuedi Reservoir water available to the
Upper Colorado River Endangered Fish Recovery Program for a total of 15 years to improve
flows in the IS-Mile Reach of the Colorado River. This water is in addition to the current
commitment of 5,000 af annually and 5,000 af every 4 out of 5 years.

a. The combined term of the short- and long-term agreements will be for 15 years beginning in
1998 or the first year that the Recovery Program pays O&M costs for water made available
for release to the IS-Mile Reach of the Colorado River. The only cost for this water will be
O&M expenses which will be paid for by the Recovery Program.

b. Until Reclamation can develop and execute the long-term agreement, they will continue to
make up to 21,650 af of water available to the Upper Colorado River Endangered Fish
Recovery ;Program through I-year contracts among Reclamation, CWCB, and the Service.
The term of the long-term agreement (2.a above) will be reduced by the length of the short-
term agreements. Water made available through these short- and/or long-term agreements is
in addition to the already committed 5,000 afannually and 5,000 af4 out of5 years.

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c. Reclamation will develop and present the proposed long-term agreement to the CWCB and
the Service by May 1999 and take the lead in finalizing the agreement.

3. The arnount, timing, and rate of the releases from Ruedi Reservoir shall be determined by
Reclamation in consultation with the Service and CWCB. However, Reclamation will
continue to operate Ruedi Reservoir in the manner anticipated in the 1989 Final Supplemental
Environmental Impact Statement for Ruedi Round 11 water sales (ENVIRONMENTAL
IMPACT STATEMENr# FSES 89-19) and the Record of Decision signed January 16, 1990,
and consistent with all operating constraints associated with the authorizing legislation for the
Fryingpan-Arkansas Project.

4. A programmatic biological opinion is being contemplated to address all current depletions and
some amount offuture depletion in the Colorado River. Nothing in this reasonable and
prudent alternative precludes identifying Ruedi Reservoir in a Colorado River programmatic
biological opinion as a source of up to 10,825 af of water for as long as needed by the
endangered fish to improve flows in the IS-Mile Reach of the Colorado River. It is intended
that future depletions from Ruedi Reservoir will be addressed in the Colorado River'
programmatic biological opinion. Once finllli.,.1'l\, the Colorado River programmatic biological iV

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