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. . USFWS - Palisade/Grand Junction Stream flow Analyses - DRAfT May 12, 1995 Page 4 8. As might be expected due to the extensive regulation of the Colorado River upstream of Palisade, no relationship was found between 1991 or 1992 local inflow , and gaged flows of the Colorado River near Palisade. 9. Releases from Ruedi Reservoir in 1994 were made July 29 through October 7 to enhance the flow entering the critical reach. The majority of releases were in the 150 to 225 cfs range. We estimate that the releases kept the minimum flow in the reach above 500 cfs. Releases are administered with a 10 percent loss, and 2-day travel time. The actual enhancement of flows is difficult to assess, however, because of the distance the water is conveyed and the multiple opportunities for the water to be inadvertently diverted by others. State officials allow the releases to be diverted for Grand Valley Project purposes from mid August through October. II BACKGROUND Critical habitat for endangered fish exists in a 15 mile reach of the Colorado River downstream of the Grand Valley Irrigation Company diversion works near Palisade, Colorado. To learn more about flows in this reach, the U.S. Geologic Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the U ,S. fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), established a gaging station in 1990 near the upstream end of the critical habitat as shown on Figure 1. The USGS assigned number 09106150 to this gage and described its location as "Colorado River blw Grd Valley Div or Palisade CO" (Palisade Gage). To get a better understanding Df local inflows to the critical habitat area, the USFWS contracted for the installation of a seasonal flow gaging facility on the Colorado River at the 27.5 Road '(27,5 Road Gage) in the lower reach of the critical habitat as shown in Figure 1. Stream flow records for this gage were collected from August 1 to November 30, 1991, from August 1 through December 31, for 1992 and 1993, and from July 1 through December 31 for 1994.