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# Upper Colorado Region

Encompassing all or parts of Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico, Texas, Utah and Wyoming

#  

            - Reclamation
            - Upper Colorado Region
            - Water Operations
            - Aspinall Unit

UC Region              - Upper Colorado News
              - About Us
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              - Programs & Activities
              - Environmental Documents
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# Aspinall Unit Reservoirs

### Current Status

Last Updated: April 9, 2024

***Aspinall Unit Reservoirs*** – As of April 9, 2024, releases from Crystal Dam are approximately 1350 cfs.  Flows of the Gunnison River in the Black Canyon are being maintained at about 520 cfs while the Gunnison Tunnel is diverting about 700 cfs. Flows in the Whitewater Reach of the Gunnison River are about 1,700 cfs.

The unregulated inflow volume in March to Blue Mesa was 33,100 af (88 percent of average). Unregulated Inflow volumes forecasted for Blue Mesa for the next three months (April, May, and June) are projected to be: 60,000 af (77 percent of average), 200,000 af (99 percent of average), and 255,000 af (102 percent of average), respectively.

The forecasted 2024 water year unregulated inflow volume to Blue Mesa is projected to be 842,000 af (93 percent of average).  The water supply period (April-July) for 2024 is forecasted currently for an unregulated inflow volume of to be 600,000 af of unregulated inflow (94 percent of average).

 Under this forecast, operation of Aspinall under the Aspinall Record of Decision (2012) would require a spring peak release to provide 10 days of sustained flows in the Gunnison River in the Whitewater reach at or above 8,070 cfs.  This forecast would also require Aspinall releases to provide a single day peak flow in the Black Canyon of 4,492 cfs per the Black Canyon Reserved Water Right Decree.  Given this current projection of the most probable operating scenario, Blue Mesa is projected to fill to approximately 7,509 feet by late June - early July with approximately 745,000 af of storage.  This is approximately 9 feet from full pool elevation (7519.4 feet) with approximately 117,000 af of unfilled storage space in Blue Mesa Reservoir. 

The Aspinall Unit Operations Group is an open public forum for information exchange between Reclamation and the stakeholders of the Aspinall Unit. The public is encouraged to attend and comments on the operations and plans presented by Reclamation at these meetings. Meeting notes from past working Group meetings are posted on the Operations Group webpage. For more information on this group and these meetings please contact Erik Knight in the Grand Junction Area Office at (970) 248-0629. 

The next Operations Group meeting will be held on April 18, 2024 at 1:00 p.m., in Grand Junction, Colorado. This will be an in-person meeting with an option for remote participation. Contact Erik Knight in the Grand Junction Area Office at (970) 248-0629 to get more information regarding this Operation Group meeting.

 Update 4/9/2024 - Nathaniel Todea

To view the most current reservoir elevation, content, inflow and release, click on: Blue Mesa Reservoir Data or Crystal Reservoir Data. 

----

### Contact

Please contact the Operations Group via e-mail at ResourceMgr@usbr.gov for additional information.

**Additional Information**
                  - 40-Day Data
                  - Historic Data
                  - Monthly Summary Reports
                  - Project Notices
                  - Project Overview

### Related Projects & Facilities

                  - Colorado River Storage Project
                  - Blue Mesa Dam
                  - Crystal Dam
                  - Flaming Gorge Dam
                  - Glen Canyon Dam
                  - Morrow Point Dam
                  - Navajo Dam
                  - Blue Mesa Powerplant
                  - Crystal Powerplant
                  - Flaming Gorge Powerplant
                  - Glen Canyon Powerplant
                  - Morrow Point Powerplant

### Streamflow Data

                  - Upstream:  USGS site #09128000 - Gunnison River below Gunnison Tunnel, CO
                  - Upstream:  USGS Site #09144250 - Gunnison River at Delta, CO
                  - Upstream:  USGS Site #09132500 - North Fork Gunnison River near Somerset, CO
                  - Downstream:  USGS Site #09149500 - Uncompahgre River at Delta, CO
                  - Downstream:  USGS Site #09152500 - Gunnison River near Grand Junction, (Whitewater), CO

### Water Supply Forecast

> from the Natural Resources Conservation Service and Colorado Basin River Forecast Center

                  - Snowpack Conditions – Gunnison River above Blue Mesa Reservoir
                  - Blue Mesa Reservoir – April-July Inflow Forecast
                  - Morrow Point Reservor – April-July Inflow Forecast
                  - Crystal Reservoir – April-July Inflow Forecast
                  - Current Water Year Inflow Forecast – Monthly Outlooks

### Working Group

                  - Aspinall Working Group

### Operational Documents

                  - 2012 Record of Decision  | PDF
                  - 2012 Final Environmental Impact Statement  | PDF
                  - 2008 Black Canyon Water Right Decree  | PDF
                  - Peak Flow Guide Curve  | PDF
                  - Law of the River

### Related Links

                  - National Park Service – Curecanti National Receation Area
                  - National Park Service – Black Canyon of the Gunnison
                  - U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service – Colorado Endangered Species
                  -  Colorado Parks & Wildife – Fishing Atlas

Back to Top

As of June 11, 2023, releases from Crystal Dam  are approximately 2,000 cfs.  Flows of  the Gunnison River in the Black Canyon are being maintained at about 1,040 cfs  while the Gunnison Tunnel is diverting 1,050 cfs.  Flows in the Whitewater Reach of the Gunnison  River are about 6,400 cfs.            The unregulated inflow volume in May to Blue Mesa  was 327,400 af (163 percent of average). Unregulated Inflow volumes forecasted for  Blue Mesa for the next three months (June, July and August) are projected to be:  326,000 af (130 percent of average), 115,000 af (106 percent of average) and 60,000  af (105 percent of average), respectively. The June 24-Month Study will be reflective of these new forecasted  inflows.             The forecasted 2023 water year unregulated inflow  volume to Blue Mesa is projected to be 1,095,000 af (121 percent of average).  The water supply period (April-July) for 2023  is forecasted to be 845,000 af of unregulated inflow (133 percent of average).            Blue Mesa elevation has increased dramatically over  the past month and as of June 11, 2023, was 7,503.21 feet above sea level corresponding  to a live storage of 685,050 acre-feet which is 83 percent of capacity.  By the end of water year 2023 (September 30, 2023)  Blue Mesa elevation is projected to be approximately 7,502 feet with about 675,000  acre-feet of storage which will be 82 percent of capacity.            The Aspinall Unit Operations Group is an open public forum for information  exchange between Reclamation and the stakeholders of the Aspinall Unit.  The public is encouraged to attend and comments on the operations and plans presented  by Reclamation at these meetings. Meeting notes from past working Group meetings  are posted on the Operations Group webpage. For more information on this group and  these meetings please contact Erik Knight in the Grand Junction Area Office at (970)  248-0629.             The next Operations Group meeting will be held August 24, 2023 at 1:00  p.m., in person at the Elk Creek Visitor Center at Blue Mesa Reservoir.  This will be an in-person meeting with an  option for remote participation.  Contact  Erik Knight in the Grand Junction Area Office at (970) 248-0629 to get more information  regarding this Operation Group meeting.
*Last Updated: 4/10/24*

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