Bureau of Reclamation Updates from Kara Lamb

6/22/2011

1) Just a quick note updating some of our imports to and releases from
Fryingpan-Arkansas Project reservoirs and the Arkansas Basin:

We are diverting a full Boustead Tunnel from the upper Fryingpan Basin to Turquoise
Reservoir on the Fryingpan-Arkansas Project--around 900 cfs.

We continue to balance Fry-Ark, and other project, imports with native inflow at
Turquoise Reservoir. As a result, we are releasing approximately 265 cfs--all native
snow-melt run-off from local mountains we have to pass downstream--from Sugarloaf
Dam to Lake Fork Creek.

There are currently some municipal exchanges going on that have adjusted the
releases from Twin Lakes to Lake Creek. On June 22, releases from Twin Lakes Dam
dropped to about 192 cfs. Currently, no Fryingpan-Arkansas Project water is being
released to Lake Creek. Once the municipal exchanges are completed, Fry-Ark project
releases will resume. As a result, we anticipate that releases from Twin Lakes to
Lake Creek will be back to over 600 cfs by noon on Friday, June 24.

2) After a brief maintenance stint on one of the hydro-electric generating units at
Green Mountain Power Plant, releases from the dam to the Lower Blue River are back
on the rise.

Starting this morning at 11 a.m. (June 22), we increased releases from 750 cfs to
900. Later this evening around 8 p.m., we will increase again to about 1100 cfs.

Shortly after midnight tonight, we will bump up to 1300 cfs. And tomorrow morning
(June 23) around 5 a.m., we will increase one more time to 1500 cfs.

The 1500 cfs release rate will stay in place until further notice.

Meanwhile, the reservoir is filling pretty steadily at about a foot a day. We've got
a lot of melting snow pack to still pass on downstream, but are storing what we can,
balancing inflows, outflows, and the various demands served by the reservoir.

3) Inflows to Ruedi Reservoir have started to drop off. As a result, today we will
start decreasing releases from the dam to the lower Fryingpan River.

The first change will be made this evening around 6 p.m. We will decrease by 50 cfs.
The resulting release from the dam will be about 673 cfs.

With the Rocky Fork still contributing upwards of 60 cfs, the gage below Ruedi Dam
has been reading around 783 cfs. After the change this evening, it will read closer
to 730 cfs.

I have a new graphic of reservoir fill timing on the website:
http://www.usbr.gov/gp/ecao/ruedi.html. I'm having a little Internet glitch, right
now, but should have the updated website available later tonight or first thing in
the morning.

Once the updated site is live, you will notice I have included some information
towards the bottom of the page regarding upcoming public meetings. Although the
schedule is not firm yet, it looks like we will be having our annual Ruedi
Operations Public Meeting on Wednesday, July 13. At this meeting, we will give a
quick overview of this year's run-off and look towards the projections for Fryingpan
flows in late summer and early fall.

Also, it is most likely we will host another public meeting on Thursday, July 28 as
part of our public involvement process under the National Environmental Policy Act
for a draft Environmental Assessment on Ruedi's participation in the Upper Colorado
River Endangered Species Recovery Program. I'll have more details on that meeting as
we get closer to firming up the date and the draft EA. But, if all scheduling goes
as planned, both meetings will be at the Basalt Town Hall, starting at 7 p.m. So,
please mark your calendars.

That is all for now. I'll be on the road visiting some of our other reservoirs
tonight and actually up at Ruedi tomorrow. Please try my cell phone if you have an
immediate question. Otherwise, just leave a message on my office phone or on e-mail.

Best,
Kara

Kara Lamb
Public Information
Bureau of Reclamation
Eastern Colorado Area Office
(970) 962-4326

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