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<br />interim agreement alternatives would have no effect on reservoir levels when supplies of water <br />are adequate. In a dry year such as 1990, Alternatives A and B would reduce the reservoir <br />content compared to No Action and Alternative C, as illustrated by the bar graph in Figure 6. <br />The reduction in storage levels is caused by the provision of flows to water users and the fish <br />under Alternatives A and B. In very dry years such as 1977, large drawdowns occur under all <br />alternatives, including No Action. <br /> <br />Use of the 148,000 acre-feet of storage in Blue Mesa Reservoir reserved for endangered fish <br />would ensure that water released under the interim agreement for endangered fish would not be <br />removed from other possible uses. <br /> <br />River AlImini~ration - Impacts of the agreement alternatives on water users are seen through <br />calls for river administration being placed by senior water rights, which result in curtailment of <br />use by upstream junior rights. Table 5 summarizes the number of months shortages or river <br />administration (calls) would occur under the alternatives. It predicts that implementation of <br />Alternatives A or B would succeed in protecting water users in the basin from calls to levels <br />similar to those of No Action conditions. <br /> <br /> Number of Months River Percentage of Months River <br />Alternative Administration Occurs in a Administration Occurs I <br /> 22-year Period I <br />No Action <br />January - December 13 5% <br />July - October 3 3% <br />AandB <br />January - December 12 5% <br />July - October 4 5% <br />C <br />January - December 23 9% <br />July - October 13 15% <br /> <br />Table 5 <br />Comparison of River Administration Occurrences <br /> <br />I Bued on the 22-y... period of study os shown in Appendix E. <br /> <br />In summary, providing for passage and maintaining habitat for endangered fish would cause <br />changes in river flows, water use, storage, and river administration when water shortages occur. <br />The impacts do not differ between Alternatives A and B. Releasing water stored in Blue Mesa <br />Reservoir would cause storage levels to decrease under dry year conditions such as occurred in <br /> <br />25 <br />