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<br />WAYNE N. ASPINALL UNIT
<br />BLUE MESA, MORROW POINT, AND
<br />CRYSTAL RESERVOIRS
<br />(GUNNISON RIVER)
<br />
<br />\:
<br />
<br />
<br />Water Year 1992
<br />
<br />The Wayne N. Aspinall Unit, is comprised of Blue Mesa,
<br />Morrow Point, and Crystal Reservoirs. Blue Mesa provides
<br />nearly all of the long-term storage for all three powerplants.
<br />Morrow Point provides peaking power, and thus has highly
<br />variable releases. The primary function of Crystal Reservoir
<br />is to regulate the variable Morrow Point releases. Live storage
<br />capacities for Morrow Point and Crystal Reservoirs are
<br />117,000 and 17,500 acre-feet respectively.
<br />
<br />April through July unregulated runoff into Blue Mesa
<br />Reservoir was 467,000 acre-feet, or 60 percent of average.
<br />The total unregulated inflow for water year 1992 inflow was
<br />705,000 acre-feet, or 65 percent of average. The peak
<br />regulated inflow to Blue Mesa was 6,300 cubic feet per second
<br />on June 4,1992. Releases from Blue Mesa Reservoir totaled
<br />791,500 acre-feet for the water year.
<br />
<br />Morrow Point Reservoir was operated between elevations
<br />7151 and 7158 feet. Side inflow to Morrow Point Reservoir
<br />for water year 1992 was 82,800 acre-feet. A total of 875,000
<br />acre-feet was released during the water year, with all but 5,000
<br />acre-feet passing though the power plant. Total releases from
<br />
<br />ACTUAL CRYSTAL RELEASES 1992
<br />
<br />ntOUIAND ACRE-FEET
<br />200
<br />
<br /> / "--
<br /> "-
<br />"-- 1/
<br /> "'- !'....
<br />
<br />15.
<br />
<br />100
<br />
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<br />
<br />.
<br />~ 0'" !<,,,... "". ~~ _9~ ~ ,..+ ,.." ,..f> r!)
<br />cro/ll Q )'t'~-+r't'+ ~ ~.. <ri
<br />
<br />Crystal Reservoir for water year 1992 was 1,006,000 acre-feet,
<br />of which 50,000 acre-feet bypassed the powerplant.
<br />
<br />Section 7 consultation with the Fish and Wildlife Service on
<br />the operation of the Aspinall Unit was continued in 1992. As
<br />a result, Reclamation and the Fish and Wildlife Service
<br />developed a 5 year plan of study to assess the effects of various
<br />reservoir release patterns on fish habitat, reproduction
<br />success, and possible re-introduction of endangered fish into
<br />the Gunnison River. Studies began during the spring of 1992.
<br />The plan recommends that through 1996, peak spring flows in
<br />the Gunnison River at the Whitewater gage should be 2,000
<br />to 5,000 cubic feet per second for 1 year; 5,000 to 10,000 cubic
<br />feet per second for 1 year; above 12,000 cubic feet per second
<br />for 2 years; and above 15,000 cubic feet per second for 1 year
<br />(basically, 2 years of relatively low flows and 3 years of
<br />relatively high flows). Peak flows will be timed to coincide
<br />with peaks on the Colorado River, most likely to occur
<br />between May 15 and June 15. A gradually descending limb of
<br />the hydrograph will be followed by lower stable flows the
<br />remainder of the year. Gunnison flows during 1992 were in
<br />the low range and will be counted as one of the two low years.
<br />
<br />BLUE MESA RESERVOIR
<br />
<br />Reservoir
<br />
<br />Acre-feet
<br />
<br />Elevation, feet
<br />
<br />Storage Capacity
<br />Rated Head
<br />Minimum Power
<br />Surface Area, full
<br />Reservoir Length, full
<br />
<br />829,523
<br />249,395
<br />81,070
<br />
<br />7519
<br />7438
<br />7393
<br />9,180 Acres
<br />24 Miles
<br />
<br />Powerplants (Blue Mesa, Morrow Point, & Crystal)
<br />
<br />Number of Units
<br />Total Capacity
<br />
<br />5
<br />208,000 KW
<br />
<br />9
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