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<br />. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />'. <br /> <br />4 <br /> <br />A first round of water sales, amounting to a total of 7,850 acre-feet per year <br />from Ruedi Reservoir, was executed on May 13, 1982. The impacts of this sale <br />to listed Colorado River fishes were evaluated in a previous biological <br />opinion (FWS file number 6-5-82-005, dated 3/18/82). Since that time, BR has <br />received additional requests for a second round of water sales. The draft <br />supplement to the final Environmental Impact Statement (BR, 1983) addresses <br />the environmental implications associated with Round II water delivered to <br />points of diversion along the Colorado River downstream from Ruedi Reservoir. <br />The preferred alternative from the above-referenced EIS consists of an average <br />annual water sale of about 22,300 acre-feet of water from Ruedi Reservoir. <br />Based on a 33-year period of analysis, the maximum water sale in any 1 year <br />for Ruedi II would be 59,OOO acre-feet. The preferred alternative specifies <br />an operational condition where water would be purchased and released from <br />Ruedi Reservoir to augment junior water rights on the Colorado River and its <br />tributaries in times when these rights normally are out of priority (usually <br />periods of reduced water supply and low flow in the river). <br /> <br />No additional facilities will be constructed by BR for this alternative. <br />Water will be conveyed from Ruedi Reservoir in the natural channels of the <br />Fryingpan, Roaring Fork, and Colorado Rivers to the pOints of diversion. It <br />is believed that the majority of proposed diversion points for purchased water <br />occur upstream from Palisade, Colorado, although some successful bidders may <br />have points of diversion within Colorado squawfish habitat areas. <br /> <br />Current requests for Ruedi water indicate that approximately 20 percent of the <br />water demand will come from municipal users and 80 percent will come from <br />industrial users, primarily energy companies. The demand pattern for <br />municipal use varies seasonally with a base demand during winter months <br />(4.3 percent of annual demand) and a summer demand that increases from the <br />base demand to a peak demand in July (17.3 percent of annual demand), then <br />decreases in August through October. The industrial demand will be <br />approximately constant over the entire year. The net demand pattern for both <br />municipal and industrial users who have expressed interest in Round II water <br />is as follows: <br /> <br />October 7. g" <br />November 7 .4" <br />December 7 . 7" <br />January 7 . 7" <br />*Source Simons, Li <br /> <br />February 7.0" <br />March 7.7" <br />April 7.8" <br />May 8.9" <br />and Associates <br /> <br />June <br />July <br />August <br />September <br /> <br />9.4" <br />10.2" <br />9.8" <br />8.5" <br /> <br />These demands will be met first by existing water rights held by <br />municipalities and industrial users. Ruedi water sales will supplement these <br />rights in periods of reduced stream flow. The monthly demand for Ruedi <br />Round II water sales for the periOd 1952-82 is displayed in Appendix A. The <br />demand schedule was generated by BR based upon a number of factors including <br />water rights, minimum flow bypass, and gage records. The exact rationale for <br />the determination of Ruedi Round II water deliveries is contained in 8R's <br />environmental assessment and models, and for the purpose of this analysis, FWS <br />