BUREAU OF RECLAMATION

NAVAJO RESERVOIR COORDINATION MEETING

AUGUST 21, 2019

MEETING NOTES

Dear Interested Party:

Enclosed is a summary of our August 21, 2019, meeting to coordinate Reclamation’s operation 

of the Navajo Unit. The meeting was held at the Civic Center in Farmington, New Mexico.

Highlights of the meeting include:

• The snowpack peaked at 144% of average in the San Juan Basin. The snowpack peak

was one of the highest on record. 

• Greg Smith, Senior Hydrologist from the Colorado River Basin Forecast Center 

(CRBFC) in Salt Lake City, Utah presented a slide show explaining how the inflow 

forecasts were derived and upcoming impacts of the remainder of the monsoon season 

and forecast winter weather patterns.

• The final April-July modified unregulated inflow into Navajo Reservoir totaled 1.16 

million acre-feet (maf), which was 158% of average.

• A maintenance release peaking at 5,000 cfs was conducted in June. Volume released over

base was 85 thousand acre-feet (kaf). When combined with Animas River, flow targets 

for ESA species achieved.,

• SJRIP request for increased baseflows to move excess water. (Navajo Operations ROD, 

2006. Adaptive management component of SJRIP Flow Recommendations, 1999, revised 

2018)

Copies of the material presented, and past meeting notes are available online at:

http://www.usbr.gov/uc/water/crsp/cs/nvd.html

If you have any suggestions on improving the operation meetings or the summaries of the 

meetings, please let us know. The next meeting will be held on Tuesday, January 21, 2020 at 

1:00 at the Farmington Civic Center, Farmington, New Mexico (200 West Arrington 

Street). 
NAVAJO UNIT OPERATIONS MEETING

August 21, 2019 

Participation: This meeting was held in Farmington, New Mexico at the Civic Center. The 

attendance list is attached. 

Purpose of Meeting: The purpose of these meetings, held annually in January, April, and 

August, is to gather input for determining upcoming operations for Navajo Reservoir. This input 

is used in Reclamation’s development of an overall 24-month study for operation of Reclamation 

projects in the Upper Colorado River Basin, which includes plans for Glen Canyon, Flaming 

Gorge, Aspinall Unit and Navajo. Input from individuals, organizations, and agencies along 

with other factors such as weather, water rights, endangered species requirements, flood control, 

hydro power, recreation, fish and wildlife management, and reservoir levels, will be considered 

in the development of these reservoir operation plans. In addition, the meetings are used to 

coordinate activities and exchange information among agencies, water users, and other interested 

parties concerning the San Juan River and Navajo Reservoir.

Review of Spring 2019 Operations

Water Year (WY) 2019 included record snowpack for much of the basin. The forecast increased 

every month and followed along the Max Probable forecast. 

Snowpack peaked at 29.9 inches of snow water equivalent (SWE) or 144% of average. While the 

snowpack was above average, the forecast range included influences by the low snowpack and 

record dry conditions of 2018. As the season progressed, cool spring temperatures and delayed 

runoff caused the forecast to increase and increasingly higher inflows were observed. By July 

31st, a total April-July modified unregulated inflow of 1.16 million acre-feet (maf) was observed 

for Navajo Reservoir.

Reclamation conducted a maintenance release from Navajo Dam from June 3rd to June 15th. The 

release peaked at 5,000 cfs on June 11th and totaled 85 thousand acre-feet (kaf) over the base 

release. The release was not prescribed by the San Juan River Recovery Implementation 

Program (SJRIP) flow recommendations but was timed to coincide with the Animas River peak 

to hopefully meet some of those flow goals anyways. The Animas peak, an essential component 

to meeting the flow goals, was flowing high. The top flow goal of 10,000 cubic feet per second 

(cfs) at the San Juan at Four Corners gage was recorded for a total of 6 days, fulfilling that goal 

for 2019.

Due to record high snowpack and inflows, the storage recovery at Navajo Reservoir for WY 

2019 was one of the fastest in the history of the project.

Guest Speaker – Greg Smith, Senior Hydrologist from the Colorado River Basin Forecast Center 

(CRBFC) in Salt Lake City, Utah presented a review of forecast methods, assumptions, and results 

from the 2019 spring runoff year. Because 2019 was such a record high year, forecasting 

methodologies and models have a difficult time handling exact volumes. The same was said of 

2018, as it was a record low year. Additionally, a record high year following a record low year 
presented its own set of questions and issues. However, having these two record years in the books, 

and having them back to back, adds a significant amount of information to the models and 

forecaster experience in years going forward. Record years are when forecasters and models learn 

the most and gain the newest insight and information going forward.

Operational Plans through WY 2020

Releases remain high through the next few months due to the high resulting total inflow into 

Navajo Reservoir. The SJRIP Flow Recommendations (revised 2018) recommend entering the 

following year at an elevation no higher than 6063 ft to avoid the possibility of spilling in the 

spring. Reclamation follows a similar guideline. The SJRIP has recommended targeting a 

downstream baseflow of 1500 cfs as long as this water is available to move. (The target 

baseflow is calculated as a weekly average of the downstream gages from Farmington to Lake 

Powell.)

At the time of the meeting, Reclamation estimates that these higher releases will be required to 

maintain this baseflow and move excess water through the first two weeks of September. After 

mid-September, the release will resume that which is required to maintain the minimum target 

baseflow range of 500 cfs – 1000 cfs. 

For the first two weeks of November, Reclamation will reduce the release as low as possible, to a 

minimum of 250 cfs if necessary, to achieve the lowest target baseflow possible, of 500 cfs. The 

SJRIP will be conducting a fixed-wing flight of the area during this time period. As soon as this 

flight has been completed, normal operations will resume, and the downstream release will target 

the normal 500 – 1000 cfs target baseflow range. The release after November will likely be 400-

500 cfs.

Storage at Navajo Reservoir will be going into the spring of 2020 at a comfortable storage level. 

Water users and residents can expect a high likelihood of spring peak release of at least 21 days, 

peaking at 5,000 cfs, most likely in May and/or June of 2020.

Current Conditions around the San Juan River Basin

At the time of the meeting, Navajo Reservoir elevation was near 6071.2 ft and falling. The 

release was 1,450 cfs, the minimum required to meet the SJRIP requested baseflow of 1500 cfs 

downstream.

Despite their low (nearly empty!) starting conditions, every Reclamation reservoir in the San 

Juan River Basin filled in 2019. McPhee released flows for boating throughout May and June.

Lake Nighthorse pumped to refill in June. Nearly 60% of the vacant space in Nighthorse was 

filled with natural inflows from low elevation snowpack. Only 1700 af was required to be 

pumped from the Animas to top off the reservoir at an elevation of 6882 ft.
Maintenance Activities

The 72-inch Hollow jet valve (HJV) and 30-inch HJV rehabs have been completed. Some release 

occurring through the 4x4 this week is due to some work being done over the HJV gates. That 

work should be completed relatively soon, and releases in excess of power plant capacity will 

resume through the main outlet works. 

Reclamation is working with New Mexico Department of Transportation (NMDOT) to repair 

fences along the spillway and to address the issue of oversized loads going over the spillway 

bridge.

New gravel on the parking lot on top of the dam and new pavement in the turnaround area has 

been completed.

Agency/Organization Activities and Discussion of Related Activities

NIIP – Tentative plans to shut off NIIP on October 1st.

BID – Requests coordination on release change timing 

Next Meeting - Scheduled for 1:00 p.m. on Tuesday, January 21, 2020 at the Civic Center in 

Farmington, New Mexico (200 West Arrington Street).
Attendance List – August 21, 2019 Navajo Operations Meeting

Adkins, Allen, NM State Park, Navajo Dam NM

Archuleta, Evelyn, Citizen, Bloomfield NM

Behery, Susan, Bureau of Reclamation, Durango CO

Branham, Scott, Bureau of Reclamation, Navajo Dam NM

Brinkerhoff, Fletcher, USGS, Albuquerque NM 

Brown, Rochelle, KB-Walkoma, Farmington NM

Bulloch, Ed, SJWG, Farmington NM

Carter, Robb, CO State Parks, Arboles NM

Corley, Cameron, Arizona Public Service, Albuquerque NM

Corwin, Linda, Citizen, Bloomfield NM

Cowboy, Vincent, Navajo Agricultural Products Industry, Farmington NM

Day, Henry, Arizona Public Service, Phoenix AZ

Dickson, Lynlana, Upper Fruitland, Fruitland NM

Dodd, Stacy, Bloomfield Irrigation District, Bloomfield NM

Durst, Scott, US Fish and Wildlife Service, Albuquerque NM

Etcitty, Albert, Navajo Agricultural Products Industry, Farmington NM

Hart, Brandt. BLM, Monticello UT

Horner, Gary, Citizen, Farmington. NM

Kupfer, Barb, West Hammond, Bloomfield NM

Jim, Angilene, Navajo Agricultural Products Industry, Farmington NM 

Juett, Miles. NM State Engineer’s Office, Aztec NM 

Lobato, Ike, Turley Ditch Company, Blanco NM

Lapahie, Donnie, Navajo Agricultural Products Industry, Farmington NM

Lee, Keith, Lower Valley Water, Farmington NM

Lee, Tyrell, Navajo Agricultural Products Industry, Farmington NM

Miller, Gordon, San Juan Water Commission, Aztec NM

Miller, Marc, Bureau of Reclamation, Durango CO

Montoia, Paul, City of Farmington, Farmington NM

Padgett, Carrie, Southwestern Water Conservancy District, Durango CO 

Prda, Sam, West Hammond Water Users, Bloomfield NM

Razor, Julie, Homeowner, Farmington NM

Royer Seamus, Ryan, BOR Four Corners Construction Office, Farmington NM

Sagg, Corey, KB-Walkoma, Farmington NM

Serrano, Elizabeth, Bloomfield Irrigation District, Bloomfield NM

Shockey, Jamie, City of Farmington, Farmington NM

Smith, Greg, CRBFC-National Weather Service, Salt Lake City, UT

Smith, Kathi, Hammond Conservancy District, Bloomfield NM

Tso, Edmond, Emergency Management, Navajo Nation, Shiprock NM

Truby-Tiller, Michele, NM Office of the State Engineer, Aztec NM

Wethington, Marc, NM Department of Game and Fish, Navajo NM

Yazzie, Letisha, NM State Engineer’s Office, Aztec NM

Yazzie, Roselyn, Navajo Agricultural Products Industry, Farmington NM

Zeller, Dave, Navajo Agricultural Products Industry, Farmington NM