duchesne price jensen green river august 14, 2012 august 13, 2002 drought conditions in august
TRANSCRIPT
Upper Colorado River Recovery Program WAC Update 2012
Duchesne
Price
Jensen
Green River
August 14, 2012 August 13, 2002
Drought Conditions in August
-
250
500
750
1,000
1,250
1,500
1,750
2,000
2,250
2,500 19
7720
0219
9220
07M
IN20
0119
9420
0320
0419
8119
88O
BS20
0019
8919
90M
OST
1963
1966
2010
2006
2008
1979
MA
X19
7019
8519
9119
8719
6819
9320
0520
0919
6419
6919
7319
7619
9619
7419
7819
8019
9519
9819
8219
6719
7519
9719
8419
9919
7119
7220
1119
6519
83
Vol
ume
(kaf
)
Year
Flaming Gorge ReservoirHistoric April-July Unregulated Inflow Volume Ranking (1963-2011)
Moderately Dry 70-90%
Wet <10%
Moderately Wet 10-30%
Average 30-70%
Dry >90%
2012 May Final Forecasted Volume (630 KAF, 80% Exceedance)
2012 May Final Volume (570 KAF, 83% Exceedance)
Key Components of Spring Flow Recommendations:
• Importance of 18,600 cfs in Reach 2 in avg or wetter years = significant floodplain connection in the ONWR
• FGD releases should be timed to match peak, or immediate post-peak of the Yampa River
• FGD releases should be timed to coincide with presence of sucker larvae (many other timing factors)
LTSP: Study Matrix and Timeline
Peak Flow (x) as Measured at Jensen, Utah
Proposed Study Wetlands (a,
b)
Number of Days (x) Flow to Be Exceeded and Corresponding
Hydrologic Conditions (c)
1 < x < 7 7 < x < 14 x >14
8,300 < x < 14,000 cfs
Stewart Lake (f), Above Brennan (f), Old Charley Wash (s)
Dry Moderately dry Moderately dry and average (below median)
14,000 < x < 18,600 cfs
Same as previous plus Thunder Ranch (f), Bonanza Bridge (f), Johnson Bottom (s), Stirrup (s), Leota 7 (s)
Average (below median)
Average (below median)
Average (below median)
18,600 < x < 20,300 cfs
Same as previous Average (above median)
Average (above median)
Average (above median)
20,300 < x < 26,400 cfs
Same as previous plus Baeser Bend (s), Wyasket (s), additional Leota units (7a and 4), Sheppard Bottom (s)
Moderately wet
Moderately wet
Moderately wet
x > 26,400 cfs Same as previous Wet Wet Wet
(a) f = flow-through wetland, s = single-breach wetland
(b) Up to eight wetlands would be sampled in a given year with the three in the lowest flow category being sampled in all years.
(c) Refer to Table 1 for exceedance percentages and peak flow recommendations for each hydrologic condition. Note that the hydrologic conditions presented are the driest that could support a particular combination of peak flow magnitude and duration. For any combination, wetter hydrology could also support an experiment.
3 ye
ars
3 ye
ars
Green River Spring Flows: 2011
Larval RBS detected on June 23
(20) Days of Significant Floodplain Connection after RBS larvae detected
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
1-Ja
n
16-Ja
n
31-Ja
n
15-F
eb
1-M
ar
16-M
ar
31-M
ar
15-A
pr
30-A
pr
15-M
ay
30-M
ay
14-Ju
n
29-Ju
n
14-Ju
l
29-Ju
l
Rele
ase
(Kcf
s)
Thou
sand
s
Day
FG Release and Green River FlowsCalendar Year 2012
LARVAL PRESENCE FG release (cfs) Green River near Jensen flow (cfs) Yampa River at Deerlodge flow (cfs)
Larval Trigger Study Plan 2012 Target 8,300 cfs for at least one day measured on the
Green River at Jensen, UtahObserved 5 days above 8,300 cfs
WYCO
UT
Colorado
Gunnison
White
Yampa
Gre
en
San Juan
Flaming Gorge
Powell
Blue Mesa
AZ NM
Duchesne
Price
Upper Colorado River Basin
Critical habitat
Desolation Canyon
White River
Colorado River
Fish kills 2012
RECOVERY PROGRAM’S POSITION ON THE ROLE OF THE PRICE RIVER IN RECOVERY OF ENDANGERED FISH AND THE NEED FOR FLOW MANAGMENT
July – September Flow Conditions in the Lower Price River Presumed to Support Colorado Pikeminnow UseJuly – September (1959, 1964, 1966, 1971, 2005) Average Daily Flow Exceedance Flow @ Woodside, UT (cfs)
10% 11125% 6150% 3775% 2290% 15
RECOMMENDATIONS• Work with Utah Water Users, the State of Utah, and local groups (eg. Price River Enhancement Committee) to
maintain or improve summer base flow conditions that support current levels of Colorado pikeminnow seasonal use of the lower Price River.
• Secure an emergency pool of water. For instance, an emergency pool of 600 ac-ft would provide 5 cfs for 60 days. This will assist in delivering water for native fish to avoid periods of dewatering.
• At this time the Program won’t be funding research in the Price River. Since information is relatively sparse, the Program will reconsider our base flow recommendation as well as the need for further investigations if additional information warrants it (e.g., results of UDWR / Reclamation PIT reader deployment or results from Three Species sampling
CONCLUSIONSThere is seasonal use by Colorado pikeminnow between April and October. In 4 years of studies there was no documentation of over-winter use. It may be similar to their seasonal use of the Duchesne River, another tributary that has been greatly affected by water development
Water Committee update
White River Flow Recommendations
Sediment Study
Green River Flow Protection
The End