Curecanti Unit Curecanti Unit

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CURECANTI UNIT CURECANTI UNIT The Curecanti Storage Unit is an will stand 340 feet above the original important part of a vast program to streambed elevation. A 60,000-kilowatt COLORADO store, regulate, and put to widespread powerplant will be located at Blue Mesa beneficial use the waters of the Upper Dam. Colorado River and its tributaries-large and small. The purpose of the Curecanti Construction on the Curecanti Unit R1 VER Unit is to control the flows of the Gunni began in 1961 with the relocation of son River, a major tributary of the Upper about 6 1 / 2 miles of U.S. Highway 50 Colorado River. Three other such stor through the lower part of the Blue Mesa age units are now under construction Reservoir area. Portions of the highway the Flaming Gorge Unit on the Green will be flooded during high water per STORAGE River in the northeast corner of Utah iods when the Gunnison River is divert the Navajo Unit on the San Juan River ed through tunnels around the Blue Me in northwest New Mexico; and the Glen sa damsite. During 1961, surveys and Canyon Unit on the Colorado River in other preconstruction work will be com PROJECT northern Arizona. pleted for Blue Mesa Dam. Early in 1962, the contract for construction of The Curecanti Unit will involve the Blue Mesa Dam is scheduled for award. U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR, STEWART l. UDALL, Secretary construction of two, and possibly three Bureau of Reclomolion, floyd E. Dominy, Commissioner dams. They are the Blue Mesa Dam MORROW POINT DAM near Sapinero on U.S. Highway 50; the Morrow Point Dam near Cimarron also Morrow Point Dam, a 465-foot on U. S. 50; and probably the Crystal high, concrete-arch dam, will be located Dam, which is still under investigation. 12 miles downstream from the Blue Me All three of these Curecanti Unit dams sa Dam and immediately upstream from will be built in the deep canyon cut by. the point where Cimarron Creek enters the Gunnison River into some of the the Gunnison River. The narrow Morrow oldest rocks in the North American con Point Reservoir will have a total capacity tinent. of 122,000 acre-feet. Studies, now be ing made to determine the size of the MESA DAM BLUE Morrow Point powerplant, indicate that Blue Mesa Dam will store 914,000 the installed generating capacity may acre-feet of water in a large reservoir exceed 40,000 kilowatts. extending 19 miles upstream. The up per end of the Blue Mesa Reservoir will CRYSTAL DAM reach to within 5 1/ 2 miles of Gunnison, Colorado. The dam will be built of a Crystal Dam, which is now subject bout 3 million cubic yards of rolled to detailed studies, may be recommend earth and rock. The 770-foot-long crest ed for inclusion in the Curecanti Unit. COVER PHOTO: BLUE MESA DAM AND RESERVOIR OPSU / Jun 62/ 5000 /REPRINT ·-~------- CURECANTI UNIT Colorado River Storage Project BLUE MESA " ' I ,sf: DAM 'OAIIO I ' WVOIIINf --,i ' ~ L__ ~ ~ i.. 1 .IC~ oll 91~ 090 COL 0, POWERPLANT lrl• ~ 1- ~zz.ooo~~ ~ BLUE ME SA DAM! "". 'AC.RE FT. ~\S I() \..)~ POWERPLANT~· ~ G rr-..... ~ ~MORROW POINT DAM! MIW t!?li I 11 ..-1:zo,u Ml!)tl~O :.~RYSTAL-DAMI '-'---------.... .

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Blue Mesa Reservoir
BLUE MESA RESERVOIR General Information Located in Western Colorado near the town of Gunnison, Blue Mesa Reservoir is Colorado's largest body of water. Blue Mesa Dam was built in 1966 and was the first and largest of the three Aspinall Unit dams intended to store and control spring flows on the Gunnison River. Blue Mesa Reservoir is 20 miles long and is the largest Lake Trout and Kokanee salmon fishery in the United States. It lies within the Curecanti National Recreation Area. Curecanti National Recreation Area 102 Elk Creek Gunnison, CO 81230 (970) 641-2337 www.nps.gov/cure Activities Boating, fishing, boat-in, developed, and primitive camping, hiking, horseback riding, hunting, and wildlife viewing. Facilities Visitor center at Elk Creek, campgrounds (8), marinas (2), boat ramps, day use / picnic areas, hiking trails, and Pappy’s Restaurant. Elk Creek Complex (970) 641-0707 The Elk Creek complex is the major facility of Blue Mesa Reservoir. It features a visitor center, the main marina, Pappy's Restaurant, campground and RV dump station. Campground consists of four loops with 160 campsites, water, electric hookups (Loop D), flush and vault restrooms, and showers also available. The marina offers in and out boat launching, a store, fish tackle, gasoline, boat rentals, kayaks, canoes, SUP's and boat slips. The marina and the restaurant are only open in the summer, while the visitor center and campground are open year- round. www.nps.gov/cure/planyourvisit/camp_elk_creek.htm www.thebluemesa.com Lake Fork Marina (970) 641-3048 The marina offers in and out boat launching, a store and tackle shop, gasoline, boat rentals, boat slips and guided fishing.
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Morrow Point
IN THIS CANYON section of the Gunnison River the grade will be improved to serve a s t he access road dam will be built near the location of the abandoned to the site. The dam and re s ervoir are upstre am from railroad bridge shown in the picture. The railroad the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Monument. Construction starts at Morrow Point Proiect in Colorado on Gunnison River include-s several 11firsts" for the Bureau of Reclamation: double curvature, thin arch dam, underground power plant and free-fall spillway. The $15A36,- 000 contract went to ioint venture of Al Johnson Construction Co. and Morrison-Knudsen Co., Inc. CONSTRUCTION of the Bureau downstream from Blue Mesa Dam, of Reclamation's first double a large earthfill structure under curvature. thin-arch dam began construction by the Bureau as part in June. The concrete structure is of the Cw·ecanti Unit. (The article Morrow Point Dam, a major fea ··work Starts on Blue Mesa Dam" ture of the Bureau·s Curecanti. Unit by Grant Blooctgood, published in of the Colorado River Storage the August 1962 issue of Western Project m west-central Colorndo. Construction. describes the earth The 515,436.066 contract for f'ill dam and plan of development construction of the dam wa~ of the Curecanti Unit.) awarded to the joint venture firm The Bureau's thinnest arch dam, of Al Johnson Construction Co. By 8. P. BELLPORT on the basis of width to height, and Monison-Knudsen Co., Inc. Chief Engineer Morrow Point will have a top Time allowed for completion of Bureau of Reclamation width of 12 ft.
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Curecanti Unit Colorado River Storage Project
CURECANTI UNIT COLORADO RIVER STORAGE PROJECT U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR, STEWART L. UDALL, Secretary Bureau of Reclamation, Floyd E. Dominy, Commissioner CURECANTI UNIT Colorado River Storage Project BLUE MESA DAM GUNNISON 0 <:- PLANT If{' -""~BLUE MESA DAM! ~1 ~~~~~~~!1li~"""~ Go POWERPLANT ill d, rF:_=~~~~:°w POINT DAMI "<-::.-:.CRYSTAL'----_..,. _____ DAMI ..., CURECANTI UNIT The Curecanti Storage Unit is an will stand 340 feet above the original important part of a vast program to streambed elevation. A 60,000-kilowatt store, regulate, and put to widespread powerplant will be located at Blue Mesa beneficial use the waters of the Upper Dam. Colorado River and its tributaries-large and small. The purpose of the Curecanti Construction on the Curecanti Unit Unit is to control the flows of the Gunni began in 1961 with the relocation of son River, a major tributary of the Upper about 6 1 /2 miles of U.S. Highway 50 Colorado River. Three other such stor through the lower part of the Blue Mesa age units are now under construction Reservoir area. Portions of the highway the Flaming Gorge Unit on the Green will be flooded during high water per River in the northeast corner of Utah iods when the Gunnison River is divert the Navajo Unit on the San Juan River ed through tunnels around the Blue Me in northwest New Mexico; and the Glen sa damsite. During 1961, surveys and Canyon Unit on the Colorado River in other preconstruction work will be com northern Arizona. pleted for Blue Mesa Dam. Early in 1962, the contract for construction of The Curecanti Unit will involve the Blue Mesa Dam is scheduled for award.
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Work Starts on Blue Mesa Dam
... Work starts on Blue Mesa Dam On the Gunnison River in western Colorado, the Tecon Corp. has started work on the first dam of the Curecanti Unit of the Bureau of Reclamation's Colorado River Stor age Project. The 342-ft. earthfill dam will contain 3,000,- 000 cu. yd. Reservoir storage will be 940,800 ac. ft. and the powerplant will have a 60,000-kw. capacity. CONSTRUCTION of the Bureau of By GRANT BLOODGOOD The darn embankment will consist Reclamation's Blue Mesa Darn and Assistant Commissioner and Chief Engineer of three zones of selected material, Powerplant on the Gunnison River in Bure1u of Recl11m11tion each distinguished by its particular western Colorado began in late Ap Denver, Colorado structural and permeable properties ril. The darn and powerplant are the and by the method of placement. De major features to be undertaken on Blue Mesa Dam is to be construct tails are provided in the caption of the Curecanti Unit of the Colorado ed about 25 mi. downstream from the cross-section drawing. River Storage Project. The $13,706,- Gunnison and about 1 Y.2 mi. down 230 contract for construction of the stream from the town of Sapinero. Powerplant 342-ft. earthfill darn and 60,000-kw. Principal dimensions and characteris powerplant is held by the Tecon Cor tics of the darn and powerplant ap The Blue Mesa Powerplant, to be poration, Dallas, Texas. Work under pear in the accompanying table. constructed at the downstream toe of the contract is required to be com Geologically, the darnsite is favor the darn, is to house two 30,000-kv.
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Cogjm.Larson Letter Crsp 02-08-1951
, UNITED STATES DEPAkTYEhT O~'THE INfERIOR BUREAU OF RECLAMATION REGION 4 Post Office Box 360 Salt Lake City 10, Utah February 8, 1951 To the Editor: The enclosed press release, ma..!7&, and physical data on the potential Colorado River Storage Project and Participating Projects may prove valuable as source material in future reporting of the Upper Colorado River Basin development. Although the project report has been approved by the Secretary of the Interior there will not be enough copies for general distri- bution until and if the report is printed as a Senate Document. The accompanying fact sheets should give you sufficient data, however, until reports are available upon request. As you know the report is now being reviewed by federal agencies and the governors of the basin states. Under the Flood Control Act of 1944, they have approximately until May 1, 1951, to submit their comments to the Secretary of the Interior for subsequent submission with the report to the President and the Congress. E. O. Larson Regional Director DEPARTM:!::HTOF THE INTl::RIOR ~r:tEAU OF !t&CLA";:ATIO~T News release for Wednesday, Jan. 31, 1951 - 10 AI', KST UPPER COLORltDO RIVER DEVELOPMENT REPO:lT ft.PPROVEDBY SECRETARY CHft.PMAN A plan for development of the water and power resources of the Upper Colorado River Basin, which drains portions of five Rocky Mountain States, has been approved by Secretary of the Interior Oscar L. Chapman and sent to the Colorado River Basin States (Utah, Colorado, Wyoming, New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada, and California) for comment. The plan is in the fo~ of a Bureau of Reclamation Planning Report entitled "The Colorado River Storage Project and Participating Projects, Upper Colorado River Basin." The Report, which also goes to other Federal Agencies for review and comment, envisions the eventual construction by the Bureau of Reclamation of 10 dams and reservoirs with storage capacity of 48.5 million acre-feet of water and 1,622,000 kilowatts of hydroelectric cape.city and nume rous partici- pating irrigation projects.
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Colorado River Slideshow Title TK
The Colorado River: Lifeline of the Southwest { The Headwaters The Colorado River begins in the Rocky Mountains at elevation 10,000 feet, about 60 miles northwest of Denver in Colorado. The Path Snow melts into water, flows into the river and moves downstream. In Utah, the river meets primary tributaries, the Green River and the San Juan River, before flowing into Lake Powell and beyond. Source: Bureau of Reclamation The Path In total, the Colorado River cuts through 1,450 miles of mountains, plains and deserts to Mexico and the Gulf of California. Source: George Eastman House It was almost 1,500 years ago when humans first tapped the river. Since then, the water has been claimed, reclaimed, divided and subdivided many times. The river is the life source for seven states – Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming – as well as the Republic of Mexico. River Water Uses There are many demands for Colorado River water: • Agriculture and Livestock • Municipal and Industrial • Recreation • Fish/Wildlife and Habitat • Hydroelectricity • Tribes • Mexico Source: USGS Agriculture The Colorado River provides irrigation water to about 3.5 million acres of farmland – about 80 percent of its flows. Municipal Phoenix Denver About 15 percent of Colorado River flows provide drinking and household water to more than 30 million people. These cities include: Las Vegas and Phoenix, and cities outside the Basin – Denver, Albuquerque, Salt Lake City, Los Angeles, San Diego and Tijuana, Mexico. Recreation Source: Utah Office of Tourism Source: Emma Williams Recreation includes fishing, boating, waterskiing, camping and whitewater rafting in 22 National Wildlife Refuges, National Parks and National Recreation Areas along river.
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Salt Lake City Area Integrated Projects Electric Power Marketing Final Environmental Impact Statement
Salt Lake City Area Integrated Projects Electric Power Marketing Final Environmental Impact Statement COVER SHEET Title: Salt Lake City Area Integrated Projects Electric Power Marketing Final Environmental Impact Statement, DOE/EIS-0150 Cooperating Agencies: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the National Park Service, and the Bureau of Reclamation Lead Agency: Western Area Power Administration, U.S. Department of Energy Written comments on this environmental For general information on the U.S. Department impact statement (EIS) should be addressed to: of Energy EIS process, contact: Mr. David Sabo Ms. Carol Borgstrom, Director Western Area Power Administration Office of NEPA Policy and Assistance (EH-42) Colorado River Storage Project U.S. Department of Energy Customer Service Office Room 3E-080 Forrestal Building P.O. Box 11606 1000 Independence Ave., S.W. Salt Lake City, Utah 84147-0606 Washington, D.C. 20585 Telephone: (801) 524-5392 Telephone: (800) 472-2756 file:///I|/Data%20Migration%20Task/EIS-0150-FEIS-1995/01eis0150_cov.html[6/24/2011 2:58:48 PM] Salt Lake City Area Integrated Projects Electric Power Marketing Final Environmental Impact Statement ABSTRACT The Colorado River Storage Project Customer Service Office of the Western Area Power Administration (Western) markets electricity produced at hydroelectric facilities operated by the Bureau of Reclamation. The facilities are known collectively as the Salt Lake City Area Integrated Projects (SLCA/IP) and include dams equipped for power generation on the Colorado, Green, Gunnison, and Rio Grande rivers and on Plateau Creek in Arizona, Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, and New Mexico. Of these facilities, only the Glen Canyon Unit, the Flaming Gorge Unit, and the Aspinall Unit (which includes Blue Mesa, Morrow Point, and Crystal dams) are influenced by Western power scheduling and transmission decisions.
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1972 Operation of the Colorado Riyer Basin 1973 Projected 0Llcrations
1972 Operation of the Colorado Riyer Basin 1973 Projected 0llcrations ANNUAL REPORT 1972 Operation of the Colorado River Basin 19i') Projected Ope tions (prepared pursuant to the Colorado River .Basin Project Act of 1968, Public Law 90-537) U. S. Department'of the Interior Rogers C.>B. Morton, Secretary Bureau of Reclamation Ellis L.Armstrong, Commissioner January 1973 Table of Contents Page Map - Upper Colorado and Lower Colorado River Basins ..... Inside Cover Authority for Report .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ......ii Introduction' ....... ~ ........ ... ........ .. .... .. .. .ii ActualOperations under Criteria -Water Year·1972 .....•.... 1 Upper Basin Reservoirs ..•.... ... ... ... .................2 Lower Basin Reservoirs ........... .. .............. 14 River Regulation ' 20 Beneficial Consumptive Uses 21 Upper Basin Uses >••••.••••••••••••• 21 LowerBasin Uses and Losses 21 Water Quality Control.. .. ...... .. ................ .' . .. 22 Water Quality Operationsduring Water Year 1972 .. 22 Future Water Quality Control.. .......... .. ... .. ..... .. 22 Enhancement of Fish and Wildlife ........ .. .... .. .. .. 23 Upper Basin 23 Lower Basin 23 Preservation of Environni"ent 2S Projected Plan of Operation under Criteria for Current Year 26 Determination of "602(a) Storage" .. .. ...... .. ..... .'. ..26 Lower Basin Requirements .................. .>. ........ 27 Plan of Operation Water Year 1973 ... .. .. .. ... .. .... .. .... 29 Upper Basin Reservoirs .. .. .. .... .. .. .. ..... .. .. .• .. .. 29 Lower Basin Reservoirs .... .. ...................... 33 At the end of September 1971, Blue Mesa Curee Bti Unit Reservoir had 532,300 acre-feet of active storage and a water surface elevation of 7,484 feet. During April-July 1972, inflow to Blue Mesa was 469,000 acre-feet, or about 59 percent of the long-time average. This amount of water caused the reservoir to reach a seasonal high of 7,485 feet and an active storage of 543,300 acre-feet early mJuly. During water year 1972, fishing was enhanced below Gunnison Tunnel by the flow of not less than 300 c.f.s.
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Report of the Upper Colorado River Commission Has Been Compiled Pursuant to the Above Directives
FIFTY-SEVENTH ANNUAL REPORT OF THE Upper Colorado River Commission SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH SEPTEMBER 30, 2005 ii iii This page intentionally left blank. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS Page Letter of Transmittal . iii Preface ..................................................................... 1 Commission ................................................................. 2 Alternate Commissioners ....................................................... 3 Officers of the Commission . 3 Staff ....................................................................... 3 Committees ................................................................. 4 Advisors to Commissioners ..................................................... 5 Meetings of the Commission . 7 Activities of the Commission. 7 A. Engineering-Hydrology ................................................... 8 1. Colorado River Salinity Program ........................................ 8 2. Forecast of Stream Flow . 8 3. Summary of Reservoir Levels and Contents ................................9 LakePowell ........................................................9 LakeMead ........................................................12 4. Flows of Colorado River ...............................................23 B. Legal .................................................................31 1. Water Newsletter . 31 2. CourtCase .........................................................31 3. Legislation ..........................................................31 Colorado River Storage Project And Participating
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STATEHENT on CURECANTI UUIT, COLO., of COLORADO RIVER STORAGE PROJECT (1.Iodified Plan)
BR-4 Feb. '55 STATEHENT ON CURECANTI UUIT, COLO., OF COLORADO RIVER STORAGE PROJECT (1.iodified Plan) The Curecanti unit of the Colorado River Storage project is located on Gunnison River, a tributary of the Colorado River, in west centra.l,. Colorado. The report of the Colorado River Storage project and participating projects of December 1950 included plans for development of the Cureccnti and Crystal reservoirs and povrerplants. The Curecanti unit recommended in that report was for a reservoir capacity of 2,500,000 acre-feet. The State of Colorado requested that the reservoir nater sur face is limited to elevation 7520 or a capacity of 940,000 acre-feet. As a result the conr.u.ttee reports on the Bills before the last session of the Congress conteined the recorrJr.endation of the State of Colorado that the Curecanti unit be limited accordingly. Since the cost of po,•rer produced by the smaller dam ,1as somewhat higher than the cost of po,·1er produced by alternate iteans, ·,;e have endeavored to ,1ork out a plan for improving the economic feasibility of this unit. Reconnaissance studies of a modified plan are non v:ell advanced and indicate that a greater and more economical utilization of the po,·,er resources, on the Gunnison 'liver could be made by adding tno dams and poTier plants between the Curecanti and Crystal Reservoir sites. The resulting unit Ttould consist of an integrated system of four dams and po'\'Terplants. It is planned prir.i.arily for hydroelectric development and uould also pro vide benefits from flood control, recreation, and ultimately from irriga tion and other uses dependent upon river regulation or replacement storage.
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Reservoir Level Updates
From: Glen Canyon Institute [email protected] Subject: BOR Begins Draining Upstream Reservoirs to Prop up Powell Date: July 20, 2021 at 9:01 AM To: [email protected] Newsletter of Glen Canyon Institute July 20, 2021 Volume 20, No. 7 GCI's Summer Appeal is Underway DONATE TODAY! BOR Begins Draining Upstream Reservoirs to Prop up Lake Powell This week the Bureau of Reclamation (BOR) began releasing extra water from Flaming Gorge, Reservoir Navajo, and Blue Mesa reservoirs to prevent Level Updates Powell from dropping near minimum power pool. As of July 14, 2021, Lake Powell and Lake The agency expects this ﬁrst wave of "emergency Mead are at 33% and 35% of capacity, 35% of capacity, respectively. releases" to prop up Powell by about 3 feet. The Lake Powell Water draining of upstream reservoirs to save Powell is Database part of the Upper Basin's Drought Contingency Lake Mead Water Database Plans, outlined in 2019. The bureau, however, did Upper Colorado Snow not expect to be implementing those plans so pack soon. These drastic actions may prop up Powell for a little while, but as climate scientist Brad Udall recently stated, "There is only about 5 million acre feet for that altogether. It is a one-shot deal." In the next year BOR forecasts a 79% chance that Lake Powell falls to elevation 3525 feet. They also predict that there is a 5% chance that it will fall Our best selling poster of Katie Lee. below the critical power production level of 3,490 Buy it here feet in 2023 and a 17% chance in 2024.
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Draft Environmental Impact Statement
DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT ASPINALL UNIT OPERATIONS ASPINALL UNIT—COLORADO RIVER STORAGE PROJECT GUNNISON RIVER, COLORADO VOLUME I U.S. Department of the Interior Bureau of Reclamation Upper Colorado Region Western Colorado Area Office Grand Junction, Colorado January 2009 Mission Statement: The Mission of the Bureau of Reclamation is to manage, develop, and protect water and related resources in an environmentally and economically sound manner in the interest of the American Public. ASPINALL UNIT OPERATIONS: ASPINALL UNIT— COLORADO RIVER STORAGE PROJECT GUNNISON RIVER, COLORADO Draft Environmental Impact Statement Cooperating Agencies: U.S. Department of the Interior Bureau of Reclamation (lead agency) Fish and Wildlife Service National Park Service State of Colorado Colorado Department of Natural Resources Colorado Water Conservation Board Colorado Division of Water Resources Colorado Division of Wildlife U.S. Department of Energy Western Area Power Administration Colorado River Water Conservation District Southwestern Water Conservation District Platte River Power Authority Abstract: The Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Bureau of Reclamation, proposes to implement a plan to avoid jeopardy to four endangered fish in the Gunnison and Colorado rivers downstream from the Wayne N. Aspinall Unit, a Colorado River Storage Project facility in western Colorado. The plan focuses on modifying the operation of the Aspinall Unit to provide sufficient releases of water at times, quantities, and duration necessary to avoid jeopardy and adverse modification to designated critical habitat, while maintaining authorized purposes of the Aspinall Unit. Four action alternatives are presented to address Flow Recommendations developed by the Upper Colorado River Endangered Fish Recovery Program for downstream endangered fish and are compared to the No Action Alternative.
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