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

reservoir is now 4.5 feet from full. The last time the reservoir
was this full was in 1986.

Open forum discussions on Flaming Gorge operations have been
taking place at meetings of the "Flaming Gorge Working Group".
The last Working Group meeting was held on August 7, 1997 in
Heber, Ut. For more information on the meeting, contact Ed
Vidmar at 801-379-1000.

/O.:J1", = I ?}i,3 to

ASPINALL - July unregulated inflow into Blue Mesa was 150,000 oO~-
acre-feet or about 116 percent of average. The annual snowmelt ( Q78V
runoff for the April through July period was 1,062, .000 acre-feet{;,q~)
or about 152 percent of average. Blue Mesa Reservoir reached a
maximum water surface elevation of about 7517.95 on July 1, 1997.
Currently the inflow rate into Blue Mesa Reservoir is about 2,000
cfs and reservoir releases are averaging 1,800 cfs.

Releases from Crystal Dam are currently at 2,150 cfs. The
Gunnison Diversion Tunnel is presently taking about 1,050 cfs
from the river which leaves approximately 1,100 cfs in the Black
Canyon of the Gunnison. Reservoir releases from Crystal were
increased on August 8, by 250 cfs. This increase was primarily
due to a longer and wetter period of summer rains in the basin
which has kept Blue Mesa Reservoir nearly full.

Operations for the Aspinall Unit reservoir's for this fall and
winter will be the topic at the "Aspinall Unit Working Group".
This meeting is scheduled for August 21, 1997, in Gunnison,
Colorado. This meeting is an open torum discussion on the
Aspinall Unit operations. Many interested groups are involved as
participating group members. Anyone needing further information
about this meeting should contact Ed Warner in the Grand Junction
Area Office at [phone].

NAVAJO - July unregulated inflow into Navajo Reservoir was
104,000 acre-feet or approximately 125 percent of average.
current reservoir inflow is about 1,400 cfs.

about
The

This year's spring unregulated runoff was 1,018,000 acre-feet for
the April-July period. 'This corresponds to about 150 percent of
average for the runoff season. This was much needed after last
year's drought. Even though the runoff was above average the
reservoir still didn't completely fill. The reservoir reached a
peak elevation on June 25, when it was recorded at 6069.2 feet or
about 85 percent full.

Special reservoir releases have been made this runoff season to
accommodate endangered fish studies being conducted on the San
Juan River. Reservoir releases were as high as 5,000 cfs for the
first part of June and then were slowly been cut back until they
reached 600 cfs on July 15. This base flow of 600 cfs will
continue on through the rest of the summer and fall months.

Anyone needing further information about the daily operations of
Navajo Reservoir please contact Don Fazzan or Rege Leach in the
Durango Office at [phone].