From email from Reclamation (Kara Lamb):
As the weather continues to change, forecasts for snow melt run-off across the state change as well. We continue adjusting our operations on the Fryingpan-Arkansas Project reservoirs accordingly.
Since Tuesday, we’ve seen some of the native inflow to the upper Arkansas portion of the Fry-Ark Project (Turquoise and Twin Lakes reservoirs and the Half Moon diversion) drop off slightly. As a result, we have curtailed the native inflow we were sending down the Mt. Elbert Conduit for hydro-power generation at Mt. Elbert power plant.
When native flows diverted via the Conduit declined, the release of native east slope water from Twin Lakes Dam to Lake Creek cuts back as well. As a result, the Twin Lakes release is now around 700 cfs.
With less native flow moving through the Fry-Ark pipe system (the Conduit), we have more room to pipe project water. With both the Fry-Ark project and Busk Ivanhoe pulling imports from the upper Fryingpan River Basin (which is still showing snow pack daily averages well above 200%), we are filling the Conduit with the imported project water. That water pipes to the Mt. Elbert Forebay, generates hydro-electric power at the Mt. Elbert Power Plant and then is deposited into Twin Lakes. The project imports are helping speed up the rise of the water level elevation at Twin Lakes.
Meanwhile, the native east slope run-off we were piping from Turquoise Reservoir to the power plant has to go somewhere as it is no longer going through the conduit and we do not have the right to store it. Native water is owed to the Arkansas River. Consequently, we will deliver that water via Sugarloaf Dam to Lake Fork Creek. Our release from the dam to Lake Fork Creek will go up by 50 cfs today.
By this afternoon, Lake Fork Creek below Sugarloaf Dam should be running at about 250 cfs.
More Fryingpan-Arkanasas Project coverage here.