Show Colorado River Reservoirs I Will Maintain level Despite an July April runoff ot of the Colorado River which is likely to be only about 45 percent per percent cent of normal sufficient water was stored during the heavy I runoff a year ago to virtually assure maintenance of all major maJor ma- ma Jor Bureau of Reclamation reservoirs reservoirs res- res at operational levels this year Secretary or of the Interior Interior In- In Stewart L L. L Udall said this week wee k SECRETARY Udall explained that the availability of storage capacity In Lake Powell and other new reservoirs of the Upper Upper Up- Up per River Storage Project system has enabled the storing of 62 million feet acre of water which would have otherwise otherwise oth- oth been lost by flood control control con con- released from Lake Mead Thus Lake Powell Secretary Secretary Secre- Secre tary Udall said is already fulfilling ful- ful filling one or of the primary purposes purposes pur- pur poses for which it was designed to provide maximum storage capacity so that the s surplus from years of abundant flow tIow may be saved for use in years when the runoff of the Colorado drops below normal COMMISSIONER of Reclamation tion Floyd E E. E Dominy in advising advising advis- advis ing Secretary Udall of operational operational opera opera- plans for tor the river in this low runoff year said the additional additional addi- addi water already in storage behind the Upper Basin dams will give the flexibility to provide provide pro pro- vide stable lake elevations when needed for tor fish spawning Mr Ir Domin Dominy said lake levels will generally decline next fall and winter but not severely enough to impair efficient operation of the power plants Operation ot of the Colorado River Storage Project reservoirs is coordinated with the operation of Lake Mead The forecast for the Upper Colorado River Basin is 35 million acre feet ot of runoff for forthe forthe the July April per period i 0 d as against a runoff ot of million acre feet during the same peri period per per- iod iad last year The water year i runoff forecast for the same area is 83 million feet acre or about two thirds ot of average I LAKE POWELL now at elevation elevation ele- ele will be maintained I It t at a near constant level until September when it will begin begina a gradual decline to a February 1967 low ot of elevation During thIs fall and winter period the lake volume will drop from 8 2 1 million to 73 million million mil mil- lion acre Flaming Gorge Reservoir I will increase slightly this summer summer sum sum- mer before declinIng about 20 vertical feet during the fall aU and winter Total storage of water In Flaming Gorge now at 2 21 2 2 1 million feet acre will fall to 21 million acre NAVAJO Reservoir has been held at a low level to permit completion ot of the diversion tunnel tunnel tun- tun nel for the Navajo Indian Irrigation gation Project Since this work is now almost complete the re- re lease of water from Navajo Dam has been restricted to 1500 cubic cubic cu- cu bic feet per second Level of the reservoir will rise during the next few weeks vertical vertical ver- ver feet to elevation where it will be maintained the remainder of the year River releases will soon be cut to cubic feet teet per second Blue Mesa Reservoir now in its first year of operation contains contains con con- about feet acre of water with a lake elevation or of Increases during the spring runoff will bring the total storage to feet acre at elevation The reservoir will be held constant at this higher level until the fall and wInter when it will decline gradually gradually grad grad- to feet acre volume volume vol- vol ume at elevation |