WSP02889

• File Number: 8282.600.40
• Description: Colorado River Annual Operations Reports
• Basin: Colorado Mainstem
• Date: 1/1/1996
• Author: USDOI/BOR
• Title: Colorado River Reservoir Operation Status Reports Part 1
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Data

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Date: February 12, 1996

RECEIVED
FEB 15 1996

From:

Brad Vickers, Tom Ryan

Colorado VJatfjf
Conservation Board

To: All Colorado River Annual operating Plan (AOP) Recipients

Current status

January
inf1oy(unreq)
(acre-feet)

Midniqbt
Percent Feb. 11
of noraa1 B1evation

Reservoir storaqe
(acre-feet)

Fontenelle
Flaming Gorge
Blue Mesa
Powell
Navajo

28,100
34,400
29,700
348,100
13,400

91
79
122
89
61

6,475.91
6,026.55
7,483.08
3,677.10
6,067.80

145,169
3,214,893
528,401
20,838,414
1,446,197

Expected operation

FONTENELLE - Releases from Fontenelle are currently about 1200 cfs.
Inflow has been between 300 and 500 cfs during the latter part of
January and early January.

Snowpack above Fontenelle is currently above normal. Upper Green
River basin snowpack is currently 138 percent of normal (as of
February 8).

It is expected that releases will remain near 1200 cfs through the
winter period. These releases combined with expected inflows will
cause the reservoir to drop to elevation 6463.5 feet
(93,000 acre-feet) by April of 1996 when the spring runoff will
likely begin.

FLAMING GORGB - Releases from Flaming Gorge Reservoir will likely
be steady (no hour to hour fluctuations) at 2200 cfs throughout
January.

Early season snow conditions in the Upper Green River are good.
While most of the Upper Colorado River Basin has below normal
snowpack, the snowpack in the Upper Green River basin is 132
percent of normal (as of January 22). Snowpack in the Yampa River
basin is currently 112 percent of normal (as of January 22).

In water year 1996, Flaming Gorge will again be operated in
compliance with the Final Biological Opinion for the Operation of
Flaming Gorge Dam (FBOFGD). Water year 1996 is the last year in
the five year research period, through which recommendations for
winter and spring operations at the dam will be based.

open forum discussions on Flaming Gorge operations have been taking
place at meetings of the "Flaming Gorge Working Group". The next
Working Group meeting will be held January 25 in Heber, Ut. For
more information on the Working Group, contact Ed Vidmar at
801-379-1000.