News Release Archive

Reclamation Announces Spring Release Schedule for Navajo Reservoir

Media Contact: Pat Page, (970) 385-6560, ppage@uc.usbr.gov
Justyn Hock, jhock@uc.usbr.gov

For Release: May 17, 2006

The Bureau of Reclamation announced today that the spring peak release from Navajo Reservoir will begin Thursday, May 25, 2006. The spring release pattern and magnitude will follow the recommendations provided for by the San Juan River Basin Recovery Implementation Program Flow Recommendations for Endangered Fish.

Reservoir operating rules  which take into account the current storage level of the reservoir, the projected inflow into the reservoir, and the estimated demand for the year  call for the minimum peak release pattern to be implemented. This correlates to a maximum release of 5,000 cubic feet per second (cfs) from the reservoir for seven consecutive days, with approximate one-week ramp up and one-week ramp down periods. The purpose of the release is to create habitat conditions that will be beneficial to native fish.

Reclamation will begin ramping up the release on Thursday, May 25, 2006, at 4:30 am. The release rate will reach 2,000 cfs by Friday, May 26, and will remain at that rate over the Memorial Day weekend. Ramping up of the release will continue on Tuesday, May 30 at a rate of 1,000 cfs per day until the maximum release rate of 5,000 cfs is reached on Thursday, June 1. Releases will remain at 5,000 cfs through Wednesday, June 7. On Thursday, June 8 and Friday, June 9, releases will be decreased 1,000 cfs each day and remain at 3,000 cfs over the weekend. On Monday, June 12, releases will begin to gradually decrease until they reach 350 cfs on Thursday, June 15, 2006.

It should be noted that even with the scheduled high release, the reservoir is expected to be at above-average levels this summer.

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The Bureau of Reclamation is a federal agency under the U.S. Department of the Interior and is the nation's largest wholesale water supplier and second largest producer of hydroelectric power. Our facilities also provide substantial flood control, recreation opportunities, and environmental benefits. Visit our website at https://www.usbr.gov and follow us on Twitter @USBR; Facebook @bureau.of.reclamation; LinkedIn @Bureau of Reclamation; Instagram @bureau_of_reclamation; and YouTube @reclamation.