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<br /> <br />Section 2 <br /> <br />Background <br /> <br />2.2.3.1 FLAMING GORGE <br /> <br />Flaming Gorge Dam and power plant is located on t\1e Green River in northern Utah, 40 <br />miles north of Vernal. The three generating units have a combined maximum capability of <br />151 MW and a useable operating capacity of 141 MW. About 667,000 MWh of energy <br />were generated in fiscal year 1996, Like Glen Canyon; annual generation available from <br />Flaming Gorge power plant is highly variable from, year to year. The average annual <br />generation during the last fifteen years was 498,000 MWh, with a low of 252,000 MWh <br />(1989) and a high of 885,000 MWh (1984). <br /> <br />The Final Biological Opinion for the Operation ofFlaining Gorge Dam issued by the U.s. <br />Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) on November, 25;-1992 discusses the effects of <br />Flaming Gorge power operations on endangered fish species. The reasonable and prudent <br />alternative included in this biological opinion reconuilends changes to mimic the natural <br />pre-dam flows in the Green River and to preserve declining populations of Colorado <br />Squawfish and other endangered fish species.. Dam Operations have been altered since , <br />1985 to improve -habitat conditions for these fish species, and the dam is currently operated <br />to comply with the reasonable and prudent alternative. ; <br /> <br />Research and recovery test releases as part of the Biological Opinion currently limit the <br />amount of useable peaking capacity at Flaming Gorge. Maximum water release is <br />currently limited to approximately 4,500 cfs, while minimum release is norma1ly '800 cfs. <br />The operating constraints resulting from the Final Biological Opinion combine to reduce <br />the useable Flaming Gorge on-peak capacity by abouti50 megawatts. Exception criteria for <br />emergency situations and system regulation, similar to those in effect for Glen Canyon, <br />have been included in the 1992 Biological Opinion aM are currently in effect at Flaming <br />Gorge. ' <br /> <br />2.2.3.2 ASPINAlL UNIT <br /> <br />The Aspinall Unit, comprised of Blue Mesa, Morrow! Point, and Crystal Dams aIid power <br />plants, is located on the Gunnison River in west-central Colorado, The combined operating <br />capacity of the Aspinall Unit is 277 MW, which pr09uced 1,050,000 MWh of energy in <br />fiscal year 1996, Annual generation from this unit a1s~ varies considerably. Generation has <br />averaged 861,000 MWh during the last fifteen years, ~th a low of 452,000 MWh (1990) <br />and a high of 1,253,000 MWh (1984), Normal maximum water releases are currently <br />1,600 cfs at Crystal, 5,300 cfs at Morrow Point, and 3',700 cfs at Blue Mesa, Only Crystal <br />currently has minimum release requirements of 300 ~fs below the Gunnison Tunnel, and <br />300 cfs below the Redlands diversion, subject to I;ertain Blue Mesa reservoir storage <br />requirements, However, physical limitations and res~ctions on the operation of Crystal <br />dam severely limit Western's hourly power scheduling decisions, unlike operations at <br />Morrow Point and Blue Mesa. <br /> <br />1 <br /> <br />2-4 Western Area Power Administration <br /> <br />March 1998 <br />