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<br />1569 <br /> <br />V. Water Needed to Protect or <br /> <br />Promote Critical Resource Values <br /> <br />A. Overview of Natural Resource <br />Water Preferences by Location <br /> <br />1. Arkansas River Flow Preferences <br />When flow needs for iden<ified resource values <br />along me Arkansas River corridor are compared. <br />mere is significam similariry of needs during mosr <br />of me water year. Since [990. Reclamation has <br />been able to operate me Fryingpan-Arkansas. <br />Project to meet many of these resource needs and <br />still be able to meet me water delivery and storage <br />requirements of warer users. Prior to 1990. large <br />rdeases of water in May June. combined with lower <br />flows me remainder of c.he year, created negative <br />impacts to me fishery. This section brietly summa- <br />rizes flow needs during differen< time periods. and <br />it ptovides information abour Reclamation's typical <br />flow management pracnces during those periods. <br /> <br />November I ro Start of Spring Runoff (typically <br />around April 15) - The rivers fish population and <br />angling opportunities are well-supported by flows <br />ranging from 300 cli; to 500 cfs. The riparian com- <br />muniry is dormanr during trus rime. and very Ijrcle <br />boating occurs. Since 1990. Reclamarion has typi- <br />callv transferred warer from che upper reservoirs to <br />Pueblo Reservoir during chis time period. These <br />releases have seldom creared a situation in which <br />reservoir releases caused toral Hows ro exceed 500 <br />cli;. and chey have also made it possible to meet <br />How targets for supporting fishery values afrer April <br />15. <br /> <br />Snowmelt Runoff Period (typically April 15 to <br />July 15) - Higher flows <xperience during chis peri- <br />od are not Optimal for che fish population or for <br />angling, but spring runoff is an uncon<rolled. nat- <br />ural funaion of rivers. Resource managers recog- <br />nize mat mere mUSt be a window to pass significant <br />quantities of water. Conversely, me annual runoff <br />periods usually provides flows chat satisfjr needs for <br />recreational boating. The variability of me annual <br /> <br />high flow events also ptovides tiver channel maime- <br />nance. habitat maintenance and habitat creation <br />functions mat are critical for tiparian and wildlife <br />values. Reclamation anempts to avoids Ptoject <br />water releases during chis time because me channel <br />below Twin Lakes Dam has a limited capaciry chat <br />is usually already filled wim runoff Water. <br /> <br />End ofSnowmdr Runolf(typically July 15) to <br />Labor Day - During this period, there is a signifi- <br />canr difference in flow needs to suPPOrt fish popu- <br />lations and recreational values. The fish population <br />prefers flows from 300 to 500 cfs. Rafi:ers prefer <br />flows berween 1500 ro 2000 cis. while kayakers <br />prefer flows of 1300 to 1500 cfs. F10ar fishermen <br />prefer flows from 900 to 1200 ds. spiro fishermen <br />prefer Hows from 700 to 1200 cfs. and t1y fisher- <br />men prefer Hows from 400 to 500 cli;. If me annual <br />Row managemenr progr.:iJl1 were nor in place, <br />Reclamation would no' release warer during chis <br />period [Q avoid unnecessarily storing water in <br />Pueblo Reservoir. Warer unnecessarily scored in <br />Pueblo Reservoir increases me risk of spilling <br />Willrer Warer. slightly increases me evaporation loss <br />[Q Project WJter, and may adversely impacr flacwa- <br />rer n=creacion at the upper reservoirs. <br /> <br />Ubor Day - October 31 - Resource needs are simi- <br />lar during chis period. Fish population and angling <br />needs are well-supported by flows from 300 to 500 <br />di;. as is me riparian zone or che end of its growing <br />season. While boating use would be berret support- <br />ed by flows of at least 1.000 cfs. me demand for <br />such use declines sharply afrer Labor Day weekend. <br />If me annual How management program were no, <br />in place, Reclamation would no, make warer tdeas- <br />os during chis period for me same reasons cired in <br />the discussion lOr che July 15 to Labor Day period, <br /> <br />PI=e see che charts on tollowing che following <br />pages for a graphical illumation of Hows needed to <br />support natural resource values. <br /> <br />17 <br />