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<br /> <br />16 <br /> <br />Blue Mesa, Morrow Point, and Crystal Reservoirs (Aspinall Unit) <br /> <br />Even though water year 1991 inflow was only 77 percent of normal, the Aspinall <br /> <br /> <br />Unit filled in early June, The filling of Aspinall Unit facilities during 1991 resulted <br /> <br /> <br />because only minimum releases were made during 1989 and 1990, The minimum <br /> <br /> <br />release objective of the Aspinall Unit is to meet the delivery requirements of the <br /> <br /> <br />Uncompahgre Valley Project and to keep a minimum of 300 CFS flowing through <br /> <br /> <br />the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Monument. During 1991 flows of over <br /> <br /> <br />4,000 CFS were experienced in the Black Canyon as inflows of over 8,000 CFS <br /> <br /> <br />occurred. To protect the blue ribbon trout fishery in the Black Canyon, releases <br /> <br /> <br />were carefully planned to minimize large fluctuations in the daily and monthly <br /> <br /> <br />flows. This was accomplished with only minimal amounts of water bypassing the <br /> <br /> <br />powerplants at Blue Mesa and Morrow Point. <br /> <br />By December of 1992, Blue Mesa Reservoir will be drawn down to at least an <br /> <br />elevation of 7495.0 feet in order to m;n;m;7.e icing problems in the Gunnison River. <br /> <br />Blue Mesa will continue to be drawn down through April of 1992 to the level that <br /> <br />will accommodate the most probable inflow scenario and accomplish the release <br /> <br />objectives with a minimum of powerplant bypasses, Under all but the most adverse <br /> <br />inflow scenarios, Blue Mesa is expected to fill in the summer of 1992. The filling <br /> <br />of the reservoir next year will insure that reasonable specific releases required to <br /> <br />study the protection and improvement of habitat for endangered fish can be made. <br />