Show River Runoff Up Slightly The Bureau of Reclamations Reclamation's forecast for runoff from the Colorado River watershed Apr through July increased slightly during May but is still less than half of af the longtime avo av- average for this period Flaming Gorge Reservoir is isnow Isnow now near its seasonal peak ele dc- dc and will decline about 17 feet by the end of March 1967 just prior priar to the runoff period A FORECAST of 39 million feet acre of runoff for far April April- July based on June 1 water sup SUP- SUPply ply over the watershed is 46 million millian feet acre below the long lang longtime time average and 79 mUllen feet acre below last years year's bum bum- bumper per water yield The Juno June 1 fore fare east rast is feet acre higher than that of Gf May 1 The record low law runoff for this period was 22 million feet acre in 1934 or ar 17 million feet acre below this years year's June 1 fore rore forecast cast and 63 million millian feet acre below the longtime average Based on tile the June 1 forecast runoff of 87 million millian feet acre for far the water year ending next September 30 is indicated This to about two thirds of the longtime average water year rear runoff of feet acre The below average runoff this year however augmented by last years year's water yield from fram the watershed will assure ance of aU all major Bureau of Continued on page 8 ii 1 Continued from page 1 Reclamation reservoirs on the Colorado River system at oper-I oper oper- oper operational a operIa levels I RESERVOIRS on the Colora Colora- Colorado do River system at present have havea a combined storage of ion feet acre 82 percent of which is held in the streams stream's largest Mead lakes behind Hoover Dam and Powell backof back of Glen Canyon Dam I Lake Mead Is an elevation 1133 feet above mean sea level or 10 feet above its rated opera opera- operating operating ting head The reservoir contains con con- contains 56 million feet acre of water or 57 percent of Its ca- ca capacity capacity The reservoir will be beheld beheld held at or above Its rated head Lake Powell filling since March 1963 Is 13 at elevation feet above mean sea level and contains 95 million feet acre of storage Lake Mead and Lake Powell are 23 feet and 53 feet ig er y than at this this time last year LAKE POWELL now contains 3 million feet acre above the minimum power operating level Power operations during the fall and winter should cause the reservoir to recede about 2 mil mil- million lion feet acre to elevation f feet et by March of 1961 The level of Fontenelle Reser Reser- Reservoir voir will be retained at approximately feet acre of stor- stor storage storage age coming year while repairs to the dam and stilling basin are in progress Releases at Navajo Reservoir will be restricted to the mini mum required for downstream uses This should cause the reo re- reservoir to rise gradually through throughout throughout out the summer to about eleva eleva- elevation tion feet by the end of August I Reservoir levels at Blue Mesa are still rising and should reach about feet acre of stor- stor age this month Thereafter the reservoir should drop slightly through the fall and winter to a seasonal minimum in March of 1967 |