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proposes to acquire additional water to increase the total annual volume of a managed pool to at least 36,500 AF for downstream release from McPhee Reservoir to the Dolores River. This volume has been recommended as a suitable goal by several fish and wildlife management agencies and Trout Unlimited. The DWeD, USFS, BLM and USF&WS have concurred that the addition of 7,200 AF of water to a managed pool is imponant to the Project. The present pool consists of 25,400 AF of project water reserved by the United States for fish and wildlife purposes and up to 3,880 (rounded to 3,900) AF of water (Beegles, 1994) required to satisfy senior downstream water rights. The water needed to satisfy senior downstream water rights holders provides beneficial flows for fish and wildlife resources. Additional water for the managed pool is identified in three increments. The timing of acquisition of the increments .(1, II, and/or III) could occur separately. or simultaneously. Potential sources of this water could be Project or non-Project water. "2 >; '100 ~J ~DU "7. z.~_~_._ '.- C~" ~';.> Increment I (3,900 AF) - Reclamation would acquire an additional 3,900 AF of water to increase the pool of water reserved by the United States for fish and wildlife purposes to 29,300 AF. This would be added to the water for senior downstream water rights (up to 3,900 AF) for a total managed pool of up to 33,200 AF. The acquisition of this 3,900 AF of additional water would resolve the discrepancy in the original project operation study regarding the average annual volume of project water required from storage to fulfill the 1977 DPRlFES downstream water release criteria. Increment II (3,300 AF) - Reclamation would acquire an additional 3,300 AF of water to increase the pool of water reserved by the United States for fish and wildlife purposes from 29,300 AF to 32,600 AF. This would be added to the water for senior downstream water rights (up to 3,900 AF) for a total managed pool of 36,500 AF. This increment of water would be considered a project enhancement and would require cost sharing participation since it is in addition to the comminnents for downstream release contained in the planning reports, as corrected. Acquisition of this increment would achieve the goal of a managed pool of at least 36,500 AF to provide suitable habitat for the development of a good quality coldwater (trout) fishery. Reclamation estimates that acquisition of this increment could be completed from 6 months to 5 years after Reclamation's decision to proceed with this alternative. Increment III - Reclamation would continue to investigate and pursue acquisition of additional water to increase the pool of project water reserved by the United States for fish, wildlife and recreational purposes to more than 32,600 AF and the total volume of the managed pool to more than 36,500 AF. This increment of additional water would also be considered a project enhancement and would require cost sharing participation. It is likely that additional available sources of water for this increment could not be identified until the Dolores Project has been in full operation for some period of time. Reclamation estimates that the identification, negotiation and acquisition of this water could take place in five or more years, and that the amount of water available may vary from year to year. Other managed pool considerations - These considerations are incorporated into this alternative pursuant to the recommendations of Reclamation and the DWeD for long-tenn operation of the managed pool: c) Fisb and Wildlife managed pool water year cbanged - The water year for the managed pool would be changed tram November I-October 31 to April I-March 31. This is different from the other Project water users, whose water year begins November 1. The District would implement an accounting mechanism for the fish and wildlife pool water year similar to the accounting system for other Project water users. The benefit of changing the water year would be that planning for the quantities and duration of releases from the fisb and wildlife managed pool for the coming year would occur when the best inforlnarion concerning the extent of the spring runoff is available. 13