Show Colorado River Runoff Prospects Reported Fair Stormy March weather in the Upper Colorado River Ri Basin has somewhat Improved Im- Im proved pro estimates of runoff into the basins basin's reservoirs it was was announced today today to to- day by the Bureau of Reclamation The April Apul through July runoff above Glen Canon Canyon Dam Is now expected to reach a total of 75 million acre feet acre feet which is about 90 per cent of the long time longtime time average average aver aver- age runoff THE PREDICTED forecast Is based on the seasonal accumulation of precipitation precipitation to April 1 at 58 stations and April snow data at 48 snow courses within the watershed area and presumes normal normal nor nor- mal precipitation during late spring and early summer Lake Powell behind Glen Canyon Dam DamIs Is expected to reach about elevation 3 feet above mean sea level by midsummer midsummer mid mid- summer 15 feet higher than last summer summer sum sum- mer and 27 feet above its present level le It will then contain million acre acre- feet of storage The lake should remain near this level during the remainder of the recreation season and be lowered a about bout six feet during the winter ABOUT acre feet acre feet of runoff should originate above Flaming Gorge Dam Of this amount acre feet acre feet will be stored In m Reservoir The remainder will flow into Flaming Gorge Reservoir raising its level from 5 feet above at present to 5 feet by the end of July This small rise and subsequent slow descent will assure a stable lake for recreation purposes purposes pur pur- poses this summer The watershed above Blue Mesa Dam Damis is the most favorable in the basin The lake should receive acre feet acre feet of inflow which is about 93 per cent of the long time long time average If this amount of water is realized the lake should fill for forthe forthe forthe the first time to its maximum level to elevation feet above wh which h is 10 feet above the highest level reached last year Morrow Point Reservoir immediately immediately im im- mediately downstream from its big brother brother bro bro- ther Blue Mesa shall remain near full at acre feet acre feet throughout the year ON THE San Juan River Navajo Lake should receive the smallest runoff only 53 per cent of normal The acre acre- foot inflow it will receive should bring the lake level to elevation feet above nisi At near constant discharge cubic feet per second from Navajo Dam will keep the lake near this elevation throughout the tourist recreation recreation re reo creation season Lake Mead on April 1 was at elevation elevation ele ele- 1151 feet above or about 11 ii feet higher than a year ago The reservoir reservoir re re- Is now 70 feet below the top of the raised spillway gales gates at Hoover Dam The lake will be held level or orwill orwill orwill will be allowed to rise slowly during the summer The lake at present contains contains con con- 16 6 million acre feet acre feet of available storage or 61 per cent of its capacity Released from Flaming Gorge Power- Power plant will fluctuate every other day during during dur duro ing the latter part of April and the first part of May Slay to encourage breeding breeding breed breed- ing geese in Browns Brown's Park to use the tho area above the river flood plain for nesting Mean daily flows will range from 1000 to ds during remainder remain remainder remain remain- der of April and May Slay runoff should be above average during May so that Green River flows at Green River should range from 5 to 15 |