News Release Archive

Reclamation Announces Spring Runoff Strategy for Flaming Gorge Dam

Media Contact: Ed Vidmar, (801) 379-1182, evidmar@uc.usbr.gov
Stacey Carroll

For Release: May 04, 2006

Based on projected reductions of inflows into Flaming Gorge Reservoir, Reclamation's Upper Colorado Region announced today that this year's spring peak flow objective is to achieve a flow of 18,600 cfs for a period of one day in the Green River below the confluence with the Yampa River at the stream gauge located near Jensen, Utah.To achieve this objective, Reclamation will operate Flaming Gorge Dam to supplement the projected spring peak flow of the Yampa River.

The spring matching flow releases are part of an annual release strategy developed by Reclamation, the Fish and Wildlife Service and Western Area Power Administration to benefit endangered fish species located in the lower stretches of the Green River. The spring flow strategies, as described in the 2006 Flaming Gorge Record of Decision and the Final Environmental Impact Statement, call for specific flow regimes that are dependant on forecasted hydrologic conditions. This year, the hydrologic condition has been classified as 'average' and the flow objective chosen for this year is one of three possible flow regimes that could occur in average years.

"While farmers should see an increase in the flow of the Green River near Jensen during the spring peak runoff, these levels are within the range of what is expected in average hydrologic years. River flows below Jensen, Utah are largely unregulated during the spring runoff and the releases from Flaming Gorge Dam add little additional impact to the flows this far down stream," said Rick Clayton, a project hydrologist with Reclamation's Upper Colorado Region. "At present, over 75 percent of the volume of flow in the Green River is from the Yampa River and not from Flaming Gorge Dam."

Reclamation officials also noted that, if needed to achieve the flow objectives, bypass releases in combination with powerplant releases will be limited to 6,600 cfs for one day. Use of the Flaming Gorge spillway is not anticipated for 2006.

Once the flow objective has been achieved, Reclamation will schedule releases near full powerplant capacity to maintain flows below the confluence of the Yampa River that are at or above 14,000 cfs. Full powerplant capacity releases will be made as long as endangered fish larvae are present in the Green River and as long as the reservoir can be managed such that a draw down level of 6027 feet above sea level can be obtained by March 1, 2007 while also maintaining base flows in the Green River, measured at the Jensen stream gauge, between 1500 and 2400 cfs. Yampa River flows at Deerlodge, CO, are now averaging about 8,000 cfs and should peak between May 15 and May 31. Based on runoff projections, it appears that the mid-May peak will be the largest to occur this season.

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