<br />Team worklllakes water for fish a reality
<br />
<br />'Colorado River' flows i,n the "15-
<br />mile reach" of the Grand Valley were
<br />boosted by 2,470 cubic feet,per second
<br />during last May's spring peak, thanks
<br />to a te~m of local; state arid federal
<br />agencies working to ,improve hahitat
<br />conditions for endangered fish.
<br />, . On May 31, their actionsnelted a .
<br />peak flow of 16,000 cfs,. Such flows .
<br />clean mit the spawning beds' and keep .'
<br />, sediment from smothering the eggs of
<br />endangered fi~h. . .'
<br />"The teain coordinated the release
<br />of water. frofu ~everal resem;irs to .
<br />,coincide with the river.'s natural peak, .
<br />giving the .fish just tlte ~irid of flows
<br />they need for spawning;" said Henry
<br />Maddux,' director' of, the' Upper
<br />.Colorado' River Endangered' Fish
<br />Recovery Program, "The timing was
<br />perfect." ,
<br />By sharing the burden, no one 'reser-
<br />voir was tapped for all the water. For
<br />examplil; last spring's flows were
<br />achieved by releasing 1,150 cfs 'from
<br />Green Mountam Reservoir, 620 from .
<br />Ruedi, 300 from Wolford Mountain,
<br />200 from Dillion and 200 cfs from
<br />Williams Fork.' Releases from these.'
<br />'reservoirs ,were increased' beginning,
<br />the last week of May and were back to
<br />'average or below by June 3,
<br />Formed in 1995, the, Coordinated
<br />Reservoir Operations team is com-
<br />posed" of representatives from the,
<br />Colorado' River' Water. Conservation.
<br />District, D~~verWater ,Department,
<br />
<br />'. 60
<br />CO\Of'"
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />DILL.ON RES.
<br />
<br />o?~1'f.
<br />0;",
<br />" ...~,
<br />"
<br />. or
<br />
<br />RUED1 RES.
<br />
<br />Water froh, Wolford Mountain, Williams Fork, Green Mountain, Dillon and
<br />Ruedl reserVoirs. was released lastspring'to provide~ adequate flows for
<br />endangered fish in the Colorado River near Gra~dJunction; , .
<br />
<br />,management ,in ail 'environmentally
<br />and economically sound manner in the
<br />interest of the Anlerican people, '"
<br />,Reciamation aiidother participating
<br />organizations also arecoJlcemed about
<br />the iinpacts this effort could have on
<br />local ~omri1Unities ,and water users.
<br />Reclitmadori's Eastern ,Colorado Area
<br />Office has been working to keep the
<br />public informed by holding public
<br />meetings; persomilly. addressing con-
<br />,cems and :distributing' press releases
<br />and public notificatiol) letters. of
<br />upcoming events, ,
<br />. To /:Ie placed on the mailing list for
<br />future 'lJotificatioriS, please call Kara
<br />Lamb at (970)667-44) O. .
<br />,.,- Kara Lamb,
<br />'Bureau of Reclamation
<br />
<br />
<br />. cities of Aurora and Colorado Springs,
<br />the Upper Colorado River Endangered
<br />. Fish Recovery Progi-am,U.S, f.ishand.
<br />Wildlife Service, National .Weather
<br />Service, ,Bureau' of Reclamation,
<br />Colorado Water Conservation Board, '
<br />'Northern Co'lorado Water Conservancy
<br />District,. Colorado Division of Wildlife
<br />and Colorado Division of Water,
<br />Resources,
<br />. "The Coordinated Reservoir'
<br />Operationsprograiti is a good example
<br />of Reclamation filling its modem role
<br />of meeting historical obligations while
<br />also helping endangered species, coor-
<br />dinating with other' agencies itnd
<br />addressing public, concerns," said,
<br />Reclamation: ',engineer ,'Malcolm,
<br />Wilson, "We are doing our best to ful-
<br />fill our, mission of natural resource'
<br />
<br />4
<br />
<br />, ,
<br />, ,
<br />, ,
<br />OURAY HATCHERY RAISES RARE. NATIVE FISH'
<br />
<br />Ra'zorback suckers, and other
<br />endangered fish are being raised
<br />at the Ouray National Fish
<br />Hatchery near Vernal,' Utah. A
<br />large crowd of ,local residents
<br />. participated in the hatchery's
<br />dedication and open house,
<br />which took place Sept. 1.9. (See
<br />Page 8.)
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