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<br />Introduction <br /> <br />This report provides information about coordination efforts in 1998 to manage late summer and <br />fall water supplies in the Historic User's Pool (HUP) of Green Mountain Reservoir, Ruedi <br />Reservoir and Wolford Mountain Reservoir. By coordinating irrigation diversions in the Grand <br />Valley with releases from these reservoirs, flows in the 15 Mile Reach of the Colorado River <br />were maintained to support endangered fish habitat. <br /> <br />Attachment A provides a chronology of the events that led to this coordination effort, including <br />background information on the Recovery Program for endangered fish and the Orchard Mesa <br />Check Settlement. The 1998 operations, hydrologic conditions, flow recommendations, <br />reservoir releases, irrigation diversions, and resulting flows in the 15 Mile Reach are summarized <br />below. <br /> <br />Participants in the 1998 coordination efforts included the HUP Managing Entities: <br /> <br />U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) <br />Grand Valley Water Users Association (GVWUA) <br />Orchard Mesa Irrigation District (OMID) <br />Grand Valley Irrigation Company (GVIC) <br />Colorado Division of Water Resources, Division 5 <br />Colorado Water Conservation Board (CWCB) <br />U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) <br /> <br />The Colorado River Water Conservation District (River District), managers of Wolford <br />Mountain Reservoir, were also active participants in 1998. <br /> <br />1998 Operations Summary <br /> <br />This was the first year that releases of surplus Green Mountain HUP water were made pursuant <br />to the 1996 Check Case Settlement (1997 was a wetter than average year, and no HUP releases <br />were needed). 1998 was a moderately dry year, with a slightly below average runoff season <br />followed by relatively low flows in late summer. During the 1998 irrigation season, releases that <br />directly or indirectly benefitted flows in the 15-Mile Reach were made from three sources: <br />Green Mountain Reservoir HUP, Ruedi and Wolford Mountain Reservoirs. On June 29, the <br />HUP Managing Entities met to develop the HUP annual operating plan. Other participating <br />water managers also attended this meeting. Concerns were expressed that Green Mountain and <br />Ruedi Reservoirs might not fill; however, the reservoirs filled in July and August, respectively. <br />The mean montWy target flow for the 15 Mile Reach was set by the Service at 1,240 cfs, based <br />on an 80% exceedance year. <br /> <br />A total of 15 meetings and/or conference calls were held from July 15 to November 4 to manage <br />releases from Green Mountain, Ruedi, and Wolford Mountain Reservoirs, coordinate irrigation <br /> <br />1998 Late SummerlFall Operations <br /> <br />HUP Managing Entities & Water Managers <br /> <br />- 1 - <br />