WSP07339

• File Number: 8141.700
• Description: Fryingpan-Arkansas Project - Annual Operating Plans and Reports
• State: CO
• Basin: Arkansas
• Water Division: 5
• Date: 11/1/1975
• Author: US DoI BoR
• Title: Annual Operating Plan Fryingpan-Arkansas Project Colorado 1975 -1976
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Annual Report

1120

The Fryingpan-Arkansas Commission met with representatives of the Bureau .
of Reclamation, Bureau of Sport Fisheries and Wildlife, Forest, Service,
and Colorado Division of Wildlife on May 10, 1972, and discussed the
distribution of minimum fishery bypass flows on the collection system
as based on the Operating Principles. The Bureau of Reclamation pro-
posed that bypass fish flows not be required at Granite, South Cunningham,
Lily Pad, and Sawyer Creek diversions as these creeks had dried up during
the previous year. The Bureau of Sport, Fisheries and Wildlife stated
that it had written a letter on October, 19, 1964, suggesting that the
Fryingpan-Arkansas Project forego fish bypass flows at the above-mentioned
diversion points. '

Those attending the meeting agreed to this operating criteria and the
Bureau of Sport Fisheries and Wildlife's letter of May 11, 1972, to the
Chariman of the Fryingpan-Arkansas Commission recommended that the
Bureau of Reclamation forego fish bypass flows at Granite, Lily Pad,
and Sawyer Creek diversion points. Therefore, the fOllowing bypass
requirements were used during the ,1975 operation:

Diversion Point

Fishery Bypass
Requirement
ft 3/s

Lily Pad
Sawyer Creek
Chapman Gulch
South Fork
Main Stem

o
o
3
6
12

..

Total

21

The State of Colorado, acting through the State Water Conservation Board,
initiated filings in August 1973 for instream use of these fish bypass
flows as shown above, and the Water Court in Water Division No. 5
awarded the Board a water right with a priority date of July 12, 1973.

Established minimum required bypass flow at the collection system diver-
sion points controlled diversions until ,about July 29 when it became
necessary to pass more than the minimum at the collection system in order
to meet the streamflow requirements of the Fryingpan River below Norrie.
Diversions were stopped on August 17 when the streamflows below Norrie
became too low to allow any diversion and still meet the minimum streamflow
requirements. ' ,

Exhibit 5, in six parts, shows graphica~ly the operation of the collection
system. Exhibits SA through 5E show the: undepleted and residual flow at
Lily Pad, Sawyer Creek, Chapman Gulch, South Fork, and Fryingpan diversions,
respectively. Exhibit ,SF shows the flow of the Fryingpan River downstream
from the confluence with the North Fork of the Fryingpan River, with and
without Fryingpan-Arkansas Project diversions. The hydrographs demon-
strate that the minimum flow criteria were met.

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