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<br />~ <br />\ <br />,'.1 <br /> <br />::,.- ~. <br />.:.:'1 <br />-,'; <br /> <br />';".1 <br />, <br /> <br />';-.') <br /> <br />, <br />.' <br /> <br /> <br />C1 "i3. <br />C.', ...;. <br /> <br /> <br />SAN JUAN-CHAMA PROJECT, COLORADO-NEW MEXICO <br /> <br />San Juan-Chama Diversion Dams <br /> <br />Work included operating and maintaining Blanco, Oso, and Little Oso Diversion Dams; <br />cleaning sediment and debris from the diversion dams; and water accounting and <br />measurement. Under contract, a new trash rake and debris transporter were installed at <br />0$0 Diversion Dam. A total of 142,274 afwas diverted through Azotea Tunnel during 1997 <br />(see Table 2). <br /> <br />Heron Dam and Reservoir Operation <br /> <br />Towards the end of 1997, snow pack in the San Juan Basin was well below normal. <br />Unless there is a significant increase in the snow pack for 1998, it is unlikely Heron will fill <br />for the third straight year. In order to maximize San Juan-Chama (SJ-C) diversions and <br />storage in Heron Reservoir, no tunnel invert, siphon, or channel work was performed in <br />1997. Despite the high diversion year, Heron came about 34,300 af short of filling. <br />Diversions began on January 3 and continued most of the year as water became available. <br />Diversions in 1997 were the fifth highest since the project came on-line in 1970. The <br />reservoir began the year at elevation 7,168.67 feet (ft) (305,916 af) and reached a <br />minimum elevation of 7,159.89 ft (263,324 af) on April 17. It reached a maximum elevation <br />of 7,180.08 ft (366,678 af) on July 17 as diversions continued and SJ-C deliveries <br />decreased. Heron Reservoir ended the year at an elevation of 7,176.93 ft (349,260 af). <br />Reclamation will maximize diversions as water becomes available in 1998. <br /> <br />Most of the SJ-C contractors' 1997 allocations were delivered in 1997 with the exception <br />of water destined for EI Vado and a portion of City of Albuquerque water destined for <br />Abiquiu for which waivers were obtained. The extension for deliveries to EI Vado was to <br />keep the reservoir below the gated spillway so repairs could continue through February <br />1998. The extension for delivery of a portion of City of Albuquerque water to Abiquiu <br />provided an opportunity to stabilize the flows below EI Vado Dam to provide incidental <br />fishery benefits. Reclamation will continue to seek waivers on an as-needed basis. See <br />Tables 3 and 4 for Heron Reservoir operations. <br /> <br />Heron Resource Management Plan <br /> <br />The Heron Resource Management Plan (RMP) is addressing the land resource issues <br />within the Heron Reservoir management boundaries. The Final Environmental <br />Assessment (EA) was distributed to the public in February 1998. The preferred alternative, <br />identified in the EA, is being incorporated into the draft RMP. It is anticipated that the draft <br />RMP will be available for public distribution in late-March, 1998. It will contain <br />management directives and a suggested implementation schedule for future management <br />of resources at Heron Reservoir. <br /> <br />7 <br />