Bureau of Reclamation
News Release Upper Colorado Region Salt Lake City, Utah Loveless (801) 524-5403 For Release March 7, 1984
March Forecast Drops for Colorado River Basin
The March forecast for runoff into the Colorado River Basin has
dropped from February's prediction of 163 percent to 150 percent of normal .
The Bureau of Reclamation's Regional Director Clifford Barrett announced
today that Reclamation will modify slightly its reservoir releases to reflect
this reduced runoff prediction.
The runoff prediction is for the period April 1 through July 31,
1984, and represents a total volume above Lik~ Powell of 11. 3 million
acre-feet, which is 3.3 million acre-feet less than last year's record
volume.
Reclamation has scheduled to release flows through the Glen Canyon
Powerplant, located on the Utah-Arizona border, at about 25, 000 cubic feet
per second (cfs) through March. Then if the runoff forecast remains the
same, Glen Canyon releases will be increased t o about 28 : 000 cfs in April
and remain at that level through July.
Lake Powell will have been lowered approximately 27 feet by April
from its full elevation of 3,700 feet. This operation will create sufficient
reservoir space to accommodate the runoff, and will reduce the need to
use the spillways.
Flaming Gorge Reservoir, on the Utah-Wyoming border, will have
been lowered about 19 feet by April in preparation for the forecasted runoff .
-more- March Forecast Drops for Colorado River Basin, cont.
Releases from Flaming Gorge will be near 4,000 cfs through June. The
reservoir will be allowed to rise to an elevation of 6,035 feet--5 feet .
below peak--near the end of June or early July.
Blue Mesa Reservoir, in west-central Colorado, will have been lowered
about 85 feet by April. Runoff above Blue Mesa is forecast to be about
152 percent of normal. Releases from Blue Mesa Dam will remain at about
2,500 cfs and should stay at that level through April. The releases from
Crystal- and Morrow Point dams will be slightly higher than at Blue Mesa
because tributary inflow will increase as the snow begins to melt.
Navajo Reservoir in northwestern New Mexico, will have been lowered
27 feet by April. Runoff above Navajo Reservoir is forecast to be about
108 percent of normal. Releases from Navajo Dam will be reduced from 1,800
to about 1,500 cfs and will remain at that level through May.
Work to repair damage from last season's runoff continues at Glen
Canyon. The left spillway is expected to be completed by late May to
mid-June, and the right one by the end of July. They still are not expected
to be needed this year.