SIXTY-FIRST ANNUAL REPORT OF THE Upper Colorado River Commission SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH SEPTEMBER 30, 2009 N G IDA H 0 -- UPPER COLORADO RIVER BASIN RAO 0 R I V(R UPPERC~~I.~I SSION . UPPER COLORADO RIVER COMMISSION 355 South 400 East • Salt Lake City • Utah 84111 • 801 -531 -1150 • FAX 801-531-9705 April 1, 2010 President Barack H. Obama The White House Washington, D.C. 20500 Dear President Obama: The Sixty-First Annual Report of the Upper Colorado River Commission, as required by Article Vlll(d)(13) of the Upper Colorado River Basin Compact, is enclosed. The budget of the Commission for fiscal year 2010 (July 1, 2009- June 30, 201 0) is included in th is report as Appendix B. This report has also been transmitted to the Governor of each State signatory to the Upper Colorado River Basin Compact, which includes Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, Wyoming and Arizona. Respectfully yours, ;{}r1'lo. ~ Don A. Ostler, P.E. Executive Director Enclosure iii (This page has been intentionally left blank.) iv TABLE OF CONTENTS Page Letter of Transmittal ........... ... ... .... ..... .. ....................... ..... .. .. ............... .... ..... .... .. ..... iii Preface ....... .. ............. ... .... ....... .. .... .. .... ... .... ........ .... ........ .. .... .. ....... ... ... ..... ............... 2 Commission ... .............. .. .... ... ..... ................................................................ .. .. ......... 2 Alternate Commissioners ... ............... ..... .... ........ ..... ................... ... ................... ... ... 3 Officers of the Commission ..... .............. .... ...... .... .... .......... ........................... .... ..... 3 Staff ............... .. .............................................. ... .. ............ ... .... .............. ... ... .... ........... 3 Committees .. ... ... .. ... ...... .. .. .... ...... ...... ............ .. .. .... ....... ... ...... ... ................ .............. .4 Advisors to Commissioners .. ...... .. ...... .. .... .. ................. ...... .................. ... .... ... ........ .4 Meetings of the Commission ...................................... .......... .. .. .... .. ........................ 5 Activities of the Commission ... .................................. .. .. ........... .. ..... .. ... ................... 5 A. Engineering-Hydrology ..... ...... .. ..... ...... .. .. .. .. .... .... .............. ................ .. ... .. .... 7 1. Stream Flow and Hydrology Summary ...................... ................ .. .. ......... 7 2. Summary of Reservoir Levels and Contents .......... .. .. .... ........................ 8 3. Flows of Colorado River .............................. .... .. .... .. .......... .............. .. ... 20 4. Colorado River Salinity Program ... .... .................... ........ ....................... 27 B. Legal .. .... ..... .... ...... ..... ........................... ..... ... .............................. .. ..... ... .. ..... 28 1. Water Newsletter .. ........ .. .......................... ...................... ....................... 28 2. Court Cases .................................. .................................................... ..... 28 3. Legislation ....................... ................... .. .. .. .. .. ... .... .... .. ...... .. ..................... 29 Colorado River Storage Project and Participating Projects .................. ............. 30 A. Authorized Storage Units ........................................................ ...... ..... .. 30 1. Glen Canyon Storage Unit ........................ .... ........................................ 30 a. Adaptive Management.. ... ................................ .. .... ........................... 32 b. Glen Canyon Dam Operations During 2008 and 2009 ............ ....... 33 c. Environmental Impact Statement for the Adoption of a Long-term Experimental Plan for the Future Operation of Glen Canyon Dam.33 d. Colorado River Lower Basin Shortage Guidelines and Coordinated Management Strategies for the Operations of Lake Powell and Lake Mead .................................... ........ ............ 34 e. Lake Powell Pipeline Project.. .......................................................... 34 f. Recreational Use .............................................................................. 35 2. Flaming Gorge Unit.. ...... .......................................................... ..... ......... 36 a. Recreational Use ............ ........................ ................ .. .. ......... ............. 36 b. Regional Water Supply Project Environmental Impact Statement. 37 3. Navajo Storage Unit. ................... ... .. .... .................................... ..... .. .. .. ... 37 a. Recreational Use .............................................................................. 37 4. Wayne N. Aspinall Storage Unit.. .......................................................... 40 a. Recreational Use ...... .................................. .. ................... ................. 42 B. Storage Units Fishery Information ............................................................. 42 C. Transmission Division ............. ....... .. ................ ... ... .. ................... ................ 43 D. Authorized Participating Projects ............................................................... 44 1. Colorado ................................................................................................. 4 7 a. Bostwick Park Project.. ..................................................................... 47 b. Dallas Creek Project.. .............................................................. ......... 47 c. Dolores Project .......................... ....................................................... 48 d. Florida Project ................................................................................... 49 e. Fruitland Mesa Project.. .................................................................... 49 f. Fryingpan-Arkansas Project ............................................................. 49 v TABLE OF CONTENTS Page g. Paonia Project. ......................................... ...... .... ...... ..... .... ... ..... ....... .49 h. San Miguel Project .............. ..... ........................ ... .... .......................... 51 i. Silt Project ..... ... ........... ... .... ........ ...... ..... ... .. .... ..... .............................. 51 j. Smith Fork ..................................................................................... .... 51 k. West Divide Project ..... ................ ...................... .. ................ ............. 52 2. New Mexico ..................... ............... ..................... ...... .... ........... .. .................52 a. Hammond Project ... ...... ................................................ ... ... ....... ....... 52 b. Navajo-Gallup Water Supply Project.. .................. ............... .... ........ 52 c. Navajo Indian Irrigation Project... ................................. ... ..... .. .... .. .... 53 3. Utah .. ... .. .. ... ....................................................... .. .......... ...... ..... .. ............ 53 a. Central Utah Project .... ...... ..... .... .. ... ... .......... .. ..... .... .. ... ...... .. ............ 53 (i) Bonneville Unit. ..... ................... .. ... ....... ................. .. .............. .. 55 (ii) Jensen Unit .... ... ....... ......... .. ......... ... ..... .... .. .... ................ .........58 (iii) Uintah and Upalco Units .... ......................... ....... .... ...... ... ... .... 58 (iv) Ute Indian Unit... .... ...... ...... ... ... ........... ..... .... ... .................. .. ... .59 (v) Vernal Unit .. ..... .. .................................... ... ... ....... ... ..... ............ 59 b. Emery County Project ........................ ...... ... ..... ............... ................. 59 4. Wyoming ....................... ........... ...... .............. .................. ....... ... .... .. ........ 60 a. Eden Project. .......... .. ................ ............................................ ... .... .. ...60 b. La Barge Project ............ ........................... ........................ .. ........ ...... 60 c. Seedskadee Project ..... ... ..... ........... .......... ............ .. ....................... ..60 5. Colorado and New Mexico ..................................... .. .. .................. .. ....... 62 a. Animas-La Plata Project ........................ .. .............. ............... .. .. ... .... 62 b. Pine River Extension Project ..... .. ................. ... ... .... .. .... ................... 64 c. San Juan-Chama Project.. .... ... .... .................... .............. ........... ... .... 64 6. Wyoming and Utah ............. .. ........................... .. ...... ...... .................... .... 65 a. Lyman Project ...... .... .. .... .... ..... .................. .................... .. ..................65 7. Colorado and Wyoming ...... ....................... .. ... ... ................... .... ..... .. ... .65 a. Savery-Pot Hook Project ...... ..... ... .. ........ .... ... ..................... .. .. ..... .... 65 E. Recreational Use at Reservoirs .... ...... ........... ..... .... ...... ...... ........ .. ... .. ... .....66 F. Status of Other Bureau of Reclamation Projects in the Upper Colorado River Basin ...... .... ..... ... .. ..... .... .............. .... ........ ... ...... ... .. ..... .......... .. .. .. .. .....67 1 . Colorado