WATER

UNITED STArrES DEPARTMENT of the INTERIOR

* * * * *BUREAU * * OF * REX:LAMATION * * * * * * * * * * * * * newsJanuary release 20, 1970 Region 4, Salt Lake City, Utah For Immediate Releas OPERATING RULES FOR ANNOO~ ED BY BUREAU

Operating procedures for and Reservoir were announced

today by David L. Crandall, Regional Director of the Bureau of Reclamation.

Mr. Crandall said that these procedures are part of the Bureau's program

for optimizing the benefit from regulation of the water of the Green River

in . Before the procedures were established, all Federal, State,

and local agencies and municipal and industrial users were consulted to

ascertain the demands on the reservoir and river system, both from an

ecologic and economic viewpoint .

Fontenelle Reservoir, part of the Seedskadee Project, is one of the

initial group of participating projects authorized with the

Storage Project.

The operating rules establish firm minimum flows in the river below

Fontenelle Dam as guidelines for the Bureau's operations and for release

of information to the news media. In brief, they cover the following:

1 . Compliance with the State of Wyoming water laws, the terms

of the Upper Colorado River Basin Compact, the Colorado

River Compact, and water sales contracts.

2. Operation of for incidental flood

control.

3. Releases from Fontenelle Reservoir to supply municipal

and industrial water, to generate power, to benefit water sport and recreation, to minimize ice jarmning,

and to lend to the aesthetic environment of the river.

4. Release patterns which will benefit fish and wildlife

below the dam.

5. The routine release of information of interest to the

public.

These rules are subject to change as experience and changes in con- ditions and needs warrant .

Mr . Crandall said that the Bureau will prepare and give wide distri- bution to an annual plan of operation based on a preseason snowmelt run- off forecast, existing circQIDstances and needs, and ecologic factors .

This plan will enable the Bureau, the water users, and the recreation- ists to proceed intelligently with their responsibilities or activities.

Whenever significant changes occ~ but in no case less than cP-ce a week, the Bureau will provide information on the immediate past and future short- term operation of Fontenelle Reservoir which will be distributed to the press and other news media serving the area, to interested Federal and

State representatives, and to the water users so that anyone having an interest will be aware of Reclamation plans for operating the reservoir.

The Bureau has been cooperating with the Wyoming Fish and Game De­ partment and Seedskadee Wildlife Refuge (Bureau of Sport Fisheries and Wildlife) by increasing releases from Fontenelle Reservoir during the nesting season to compel the geese to nest above the river's low stage shoreline. Similar procedure will be taken during the duck nesting season. Minimum flows have also been maintained to enhance the fish life habitat below the dam and to improve the rrrunicipal and industrial water quality.

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