Flaming Gorge Technical Working Group

May 30, 2013, 10:00 am

Conference Call Record 

Attending:

Reclamation: Heather Hermansen, Malcolm Wilson, Dave Speas, Peter Crookston

Fish and Wildlife Service: Kevin McAbee

Western Area Power Administration: Jerry Wilhite

Recovery Program: Tom Chart, Kevin Bestgen

UDWR: Matt Breen

Agenda:

• Hydrology in the Yampa Rivers

• Larval sampling update

Hydrology: 

Heather Hermansen reported that the Yampa River forecast continues to decrease. The Yampa River 

forecast this morning shows flows at Jensen reaching a peak of 10,900 cfs on Saturday, June 1. Current 

operations are for Flaming Gorge releases at power plant capacity for seven days but no more than 14 

days in accordance with the moderately dry duration target. The Yampa River forecast decreases early 

next week and with another slight increase around June 6. Reclamation is operating Flaming Gorge at 

power plant capacity through next week in an attempt to meet the forecasted rise in the Yampa River. 

Snow remains in the Yampa River Basin. Tower currently has 25 inches of SWE, Old Battle has 18.9

inches and Ripple Creek has 12.2 inches. The cold temperatures are sustaining the snow levels at high 

elevations.

Larval Sampling Efforts:

Gates at Stewart Lake opened at 7:00 last night. UDWR sees the two different peaks and is planning on 

latching onto one of them. There is some discomfort with the idea of keeping the gate open to wait for 

the influx of flows and then close the gate. Saturday evening is the predicted peak at Jensen. The plan 

is to close the gate on Saturday with Stewart Lake connecting for four days. The group asked if there 

was flexibility to open the gate again for the forecasted second pulse of the Yampa next week. This is a 

different flow scenario than last year. Last year the water didn’t equalize. Yesterday the water 

equalized within a few hours. There is concern that opening the gates after they have been closed has 

potential to lose the accomplished entrainment. Kevin Bestgen indicated that the fish will choose to 

remain in wetland rather than riding the wave back out. His lab and field observations show fish remain 

in backwaters. It’s not a situation where they will get on the outflow and flush back into the river. He 

advocates keeping the gates open longer or opening them a second time during the forecasted Yampa 

River pulse. If Stewart Lake closes the gates, should Flaming Gorge ramp down to base flows? There are 

other wetlands being studied this year that will likely not be maintained through the summer. The 

Service wasn’t available to ask whether the plan is to pump water into the Above Brennan floodplain to 

maintain it over the summer. The group is interest in an update on Above Brennan once flows come up 
on Saturday. There is a variety of habitat available that will provide short term benefit and assist in 

recovery of juveniles in the main channel. Real questions tied to LTSP and what Reclamation does with 

FG is tied to the recovery of the fish. The focus is on the LTSP and ROD objectives and the FG release 

pattern contributes to recovery. Dave Speas brought up base flows. Reclamation indicated that the 

FGTWG received a letter from the Utah Field Office of the Service requesting 40% maximum release rate 

from Flaming Gorge through September 30 to assist the Colorado pikeminnow recruitment. The reports 

on adult Colorado pikeminnow from last year indicate lower numbers of fish. Reclamation released 

1,300 and 1,100 cfs last year on top of Yampa River flows. The decrease in numbers is potentially 

caused not from releases but from the fire debris and low water year, which is out of Reclamation’s 

control. There has been speculation in the past that larger fish are lost in relation to low flows in 

Desolation. Reclamation is planning on managing Flaming Gorge at 1,100 cfs releases through 

September 30, 2013, to assist the Colorado pikeminnow. It may mean a few feet in the reservoir during 

the moderately dry year but with a few average years the reservoir will recover. However, if conditions 

continue to be dry there will be point at which the tradeoff in reservoir elevation will be too great.

With the gate open at Stewart Lake it is a 24 hour operation. UDWR needs help and it would be easier. 

The decision needs to be made Saturday. The group is requesting flexibility to close gates Sunday with 

the potential to reopen the gates briefly during the secondary pulse. The Jensen gage is close to 

Stewart Lake and provides real time flow levels. UDWR indicated they would rather close and reopen 

the gates than leave them open, although it makes sense to close it and keep it closed. UDWR hasn’t 

sampled light traps in the wetland and will wait for the information before making a decision. 

Next Meetings:

June 1, 2013 at 12:00 p.m.

June 4, 2013 at 10:30 a.m.

June 7, 2013 at 10:00 a.m.