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<br />12 <br /> <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br /> <br />Lake Estes <br /> <br />o <br />L~' <br />~ <br />....1 <br />a'J <br />.:..,.1. <br /> <br />Completed in 1949, Lake Estes (on the Big Thompson River-> provides <br />regulating capacity for- power- pur-poses. The lake has a total capacity <br />of 3,100 acr-e-feet and contr-ols the discharge of Estes Power-plant, <br />river inflow, river outflow, and releases of water to the <br />Foothills Power System via Olympus Tunnel (550 ft3;s capacity). The <br />Estes Power-plant contains three units with a total installed capacity of <br />45 me9awatts, with combined r-elease capability of 1,3UO ft3;s. The <br />spillway, located on the right abutment, Ilas five r-adial gates with <br />a total r-elease capability of 21,200 ft3;s. The center gate has been <br />automated and is controllable from the Flatir-on Contr-ol Center. <br /> <br />During the winter-, pr-oject water is diverted through Adams and <br />Olympus Tunnels and r-outed through the Foothi lls Power System on its <br />journey to terminal storage in Carter Lake and Korsetooth Reservoir. <br /> <br />The October--Januar-y precipitation for- the Big Thompson River- Basin above <br />Lake Estes was below normal at 69 percent of aver-age. The inflow into <br />Lake Estes for this per-iod was also below normal at 65 percent of <br />average. The Febr-uary 1 snowpack water- content measurement was <br />78 percent of aver-age which resulted in an April-July most pr-obable <br />runoff for-ecast volume of 60~000 acr-e-feet. <br /> <br />Precipitation over the Big Thompson River- basin incr-eased dramatically <br />in February to 488 percent of average, with 2.54 inches recorded. <br />I nfl ow increased to 100 per-cent of average and the Mar-ch 1 r-unoff <br />for-ecast of the Apr-il-July volume incr-eased to 70,000 acre-feet. <br /> <br />Estes Park r-ecor-ded the second lowest precipitation of 0.12 inches for <br />March in 80 year-s, as pr-ecipitation over- the watershed decreased r-apidly <br />to only 15 per-cent of average. The Apri 1 1 snow-water- content was <br />8.0 inches or 75 percent of aver-age. The April-July r-unoff forecast <br />volume deer-eased back to 60,000 acre-feet. <br /> <br />Snowpack in the Big Thompson River Basin was measured at only 51 percent <br />of average on May 1. Most pr-obable for-ecasted natural inflow volume to <br />Lake Estes for- the Apr-il-July period totaled 45,000 acr-e-feet, which was <br />62 percent of aver-age. The May for-ecast pr-oved to be quite accurate as <br />actual inflow fOl' April-July was 45,800 acr-e-feet. <br /> <br />The maximum dai ly inflow of 443 ft3;s occurred on June 17. Natural <br />inflows deer-eased in July to 126 ft3;s by July 27. June and July' <br />inflows were 57 percent and 60 percent of average, respectively. ' <br /> <br />The Big Thompson River inflow that was in excess of the minimum required <br />outflow below Lake Estes was diver-ted as skim water- through Olympus <br />Tunnel on Apr-il 27 and continued as available until early July. <br /> <br />Due to the high Adams Tunnel diversions that kept Olympus Tunnel at <br />capacity and the tur-bine r-unner replacement at Flatiron Power-plant, Big <br />Thompson River- inflow to Lake Estes was bypassed and not diverted <br />(sk immed) for- power product ion from Ju ly 7 until the end of the water <br />year. Releases to the river below Olympus Dam peaked at 305 ft3;s on <br />August 3. Water diverted into Olympus Tunnel under- operation "skim" <br />