WSP08168

• File Number: 8282.600.40
• Description: Colorado River Reservoir Operations
• Basin: Colorado Mainstem
• Date: 6/1/1997
• Author: CWCB
• Title: Colorado River Reservoir Operations Status Reports - Part 2B, June and August
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Data

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Date: June 10, 1997

RECEIVED
JUN 13 1997

From: Water Resource Group, Salt Lake City

Colorado Water
C?ns~rvatjon Board
Reclplents

To: All Colorado River Annual Operating Plan (AOP)

Current Status

May
inflow (unreg)
(acre- feet)

Percent
of normal

Midnight
June 09
Elevation

Resevoir
Storage
(acre-feet)

Fontenelle
Flaming Gorge
Blue Mesa
Powell
Navajo

359,000
486,000
330,000
3,582,000
355,000

195
167
153
160
127

6,495.43
6,028.12
7,502.44
3,684.93
6,067.50

265,000
3,277,000
682,000
21,985,000
1,446,000

Expected Operation

FONTENELLE - Releases from Fontenelle are currently at 7500 cfs,
but are being increased to 8500 cfs (500 cfs increase on June 10
and another 500 cfs increase on June 11). This change is being
made because inflow is now in excess of 13,000 cfs, and there is
only 80,000 acre-feet of vacant space in the reservoir.
Additionally there has been significant precipitation in the
Upper Green River Basin the past several days. This wet trend is
expected to continue.

Inflow is expected to be high throughout June and into July.
Releases will not be decreased until inflows into Fontenelle drop
below about 8000 cfs. This will likely happen later in June.
Fonenelle Reservoir will likely be nearly full by
late June.

FLAMING GORGE - On Wed May 28, a bypass release began at Flaming
Gorge. Releases were increased by 2000 cfs, up from 4600 cfs,
for a total release of 6600 cfs. This increase in releases was
prompted by an increase in the forecasted April through July
inflow into Flaming Gorge issued in the National Weather Service
in early May. This forecast called for an inflow of 1.8 million
acre-feet during the April through July time period.

Reclamation scheduled the bypass releases to occur after the peak
flows on the Yampa River had already taken place. This was done
because of consideration to land owners along the Green River
near Jensen, Ut. This area, which is below the confluence of the
Green and Yampa Rivers, is prone to flooding. By the time the
bypass began (May 28), the Yampa River was falling and river flow
forecasts indicated that it had "peaked" for the year. However,
heavy rains occurred in the Yampa River Basin on May 28 and May
29. This was then followed by abnormally hot weather May 30
through June 1. The result of this was a rapid increase in Yampa
River flows. The Yampa River had dropped to about 10,000 cfs by
May 29, but increased over the next six days reaching a new peak

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