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WAYNE N. ASPINALL UNIT BLUE MESA, MORROW POINT, AND CRYSTAL RESERVOIRS (GUNNISON RIVER) Water Year 1993 Tbe Wayne N. Aspinall Unit, is comprised of Blue Mesa, Morrow Point, and Crystal Reservoirs. Blue Mesa provides nearly all of tbe long-term storage for all three powerplants. Morrow Point provides peaking power, and tbus bas highly variable releases. Tbe primary function of Crystal Reservoir is to regulate tbe variable Morrow Point releases. Live storage capacities for Morrow Point and Crystal Reservoirs are 144.3 and 21.5 million cubic melers (117,000 and 17,500 acre-feet) respectively. April through July unregulated runoff into Blue Mesa Reservoir was 1,217 million cubic melers (987,000 acre-feet), or 127 percent of average. The total unregulated inflow for water year 1993 inflow was 1,560 million cubic meters (1,265,000 acre-feet), or 116 percent of average. Tbe peak regulated inflow to Blue Mesa was 263 cubic melers per second (9,300 cubic feet per second) on May 28, 1993. Releases from Blue Mesa Reservoir totaled 1,388 million cubic meters (1,125,000 acre-feet) for the water year. Because of the high runoff, Blue Mesa Reservoir easily filled in water year 1993. The high runoff also required that significant spills and powerplant bypasses take place at Crystal Reservoir. Approximately 556 million cubic meters (451,000 acre-feet) of water bypassed the powerplant at Crystal. All releases from Blue Mesa and Morrow Point passed through the powerplants. ACTUAL CRYSTAL RELEASES 1993 II'LLIOII CUU: IlnEIIII lOG tMOUUIID ACa-PDT 401 ..---- / \ I ......... 1 ) --., ~ . ........ .... ..4 :100 u 100 II 1 100 )- ~ #' .; ~ , .f" .I ~+ I' , -,0 The maximum flow at the Gunnison River gage below Crystal Reservoir in 1993 was 1,580 cubic meters per serond (5,200 cubic feet per serond). Even with the high level of runoff (approximately the same as in 1984), major flooding did not occur in 1993. Blue Mesa Reservoir was drawn down in February, March and April of 1993 in anticipation of a high spring runoff. Large fluctuations in releases on a daily and bourly basis were also avoided. Section 7 Consultation with the Fish and Wildlife Service on the operation of the Aspinall Unit was continued in 1993. As part of this consultation, a 5-year plan to study the effect of various release patterns on habitat and possibly on the reproductive success and reintroduction of endangered fish in the Gunnison River was outlined. Water year 1993 was the second year of lhis 5-year study and met the goals of the high release year. Additionally, the Aspinall Unit was operated as if the draft contract between Reclamation, the National Park Service, and the State of Colorado to deliver water from the Aspinall Unit to the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Monument was in place. Tbe operation was coordinated with the National Park Service, State of Colorado, and the FISh and Wildlife Service and others interested in the operation of the Aspinall Unit. BLUE MESA RESERVOIR Reservoir S.orage Capacity Normal Pool FJevation Minimum Power Pool Surface Area, full Reservoir Length, full 1,023 million cubic meters (829,523 acn:.reet) 2291.8 Meters (7519.4 Fcc.) 2253.3 MeIers (7393.0 Feet) 3,715 Hectares (9,180 Acres) 39 Kilomctcn; (24 Miles) Powemlants (Blue Mesa. Morrow Point and Crvstal) Number of Unit.s Total Capacity 5 208,000 ICW 9