WSP01196

• File Number: 8282.600.40
• Description: Colorado River Annual Operations Reports
• Basin: Colorado Mainstem
• Date: 1/1/1997
• Author: USDOI/BOR
• Title: Colorado River Reservoir Operation Status Reports Part 1
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Data

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Group meeting is scheduled for April 10 at 11 am in Vernal, UT.
For more information on the Working Group, contact Ed Vidmar at
801-379-1000.

ASPINALL - January unregulated inflow into Blue Mesa was 28,500
acre- feet or about 118 percent of average. The reservoir is
currently at elevation 7480.18 feet. Inflow into Blue Mesa
Reservoir is presently at 425 cfs.

Releases from Crystal Dam are about 1,800 cfs, leaving
approximately the same flow in the Black Canyon of the Gunnison.
Crystal Reservoir releases should remain at this current level for
the remainder of the month. It is anticipated that March releases
will increase due to the above average snowpack conditions this
winter.

The current snowpack conditions in the Gunnison River Basin are
measuring about 164 percent of normal. The river runoff is
forecasted to be about 157 percent of normal for the April through
July period. It should be noted that these operational plans will
change over the course of the next few months with relationship to
the winter storm season.

The "Aspinall Unit Working Group" held its work group meeting on
January 13 and 14 in Grand Junction, Colorado. These meetings are
open forum discussions on the Aspinall Unit operations with many
interested groups participating. The next operation meeting will
be held on April 17, 1997 in Grand Junction. Anyone needing
further information about this meeting should contact Ed Warner in
the Grand Junction Area Office at [phone].

NAVAJO - January unregulated inflow into Navajo Reservoir was about
25,000 acre-feet or approximately 109 percent of average. The
current reservoir inflow is about 350 cfs and the water surface
elevation is at 6047.22 feet.

The snowpack conditions are still above average for water year
1997. As of February 14, the mountain snowpack above Navajo
Reservoir is at 156 percent of normal for the San Juan Basin and
148 percent of normal for the Animas River Basin.

Releases from Navajo are currently at 252 cfs and holding steady.
This low flow is primarily due to ongoing endangered fish studies.
The test flow is being made to evaluate the effects of low flows on
endangered fish living in the San Juan River and are expected to
continue through the rest of this month.