UNITED STArrES DEPARTMENT of the INTERIOR * * * * * * * * * * * * * ********news release BUREAU OF RECLAMATION Region 4, Solt Lake City, Utah Telephone: 524-5403
For release: Wednesday, June 11, 1969
BELOW NORMAL APRIL-JULY COLORADO RIVER RUNOFF OF 7.4 Ml LU ON ACRE-FEET FORECAST
Moy hos been the third consecutive month of subnormal precipitation in the Colorado
River Basin above Lees Ferry, causing the April-July runoff forecast to foll to 7.4 million
acre-feet or 87 percent of normal, the Bureau of Reclamation announced today. An even
lower runoff forecast is avoided only by the presence of above normal snow accumulations
in the high mountains.
Another milestone was reached lost month in the uti lization of water of the Colorado River in the Upper Basin . On Thursday night, Moy 29, 1969, water stored in Lake Powell reached elevation 3570 feet, which is "roted head" for the powerplont located at the toe of Glen Canyon Dom . "Roted head" is the lowest level at which water flowing through the turbines con drive the generators at their nameplate capacity. With normal rai nfall, it is expected that Lake Powell 's water surface should reach on all-time high in July at about elevation 3580 feet with a live storage of about 10,290,000 acre-feet.
Planned releases from Lake Powell for water year 1969 ore about 8 . 8 million ocre feet. For the next 3 years thereafter annual releases should be near this amount in order to deliver Colorado River Compact requirements to the Lower Basin. The entire release wi 11 be used to generate power for power customers in both the Upper and Lower Bosi ns.
About 985,000 acre-feet of runoff should originate above Flaming Gorge Dom. If this amount is realized, about 175,000 acre-feet will be stored in Fontenelle Reservoir which is located upstream, and the remainder of the runoff will be regulated at Flaming Gorge Reservoir. Flaming Gorge Reservoir is now about elevation 5982 feet and a live storage content of 1,833,000 acre-feet. The reservoir will be maintained near this level until drowdown in the winter of 1969-70.
On the Son Juan River, Navajo Lake should receive about 750,000 acre-feet of spring runoff, raising its level another 3 feet to elevation 6040 feet du ri ng June . By the end of August the lake should recede to elevation 6030 and will be maintained near this Ieve I unti I drawndown occurs during the winter months.
Runoff forecast for the Gunnison River watershed above Blue Mesa Dam is 640,000 acre-feet. The reservoir is now at elevation 7486 feet with a live storage content of 550,000 acre-feet. It should reach about elevation 7499 feet by the end of August with a Iive storage of 6,.50, 000 acre-feet.
Lake Mead is now about elevation 1141 feet or about 6 feet higher than a year ago. It contains 15 .5 mi II ion acre-feet of ovoi lob le storage or 57 percent of its capacity. The lake is scheduled to rise slowly during the remainder of the year. Required compact releases from Lake Powell will probably_· exceed Lower Basin water requirements during the next 3 years so we con expect a nominal rise in Lake Mead during this period.