Annual Lake Mohave Fish Harvest & Downstream Water Demands May Affect
Lower Colorado River Water Flows and Lake Elevations in Early October
The annual harvest
of endangered razorback sucker fish from grow-out ponds at Lake Mohave, and
the potential for continued high water demands in southern Arizona and southern
California, may affect water levels at Lakes Mohave and Havasu and river flows
below Davis and Parker Dams during the next two weeks.
Lake Mohave
During the two-week harvest of the endangered fish, which began October 1, Lake
Mohave is scheduled to drop about three feet below its current level of approximately
638 feet above sea level. Water releases from Davis Dam during this time will
be managed to ensure Lake Mohave does not drop too fast while the fish are being
removed from the ponds. This may require higher than normal or lower than normal
water releases from the dam on a daily basis.
During the last
two weeks of October, Lake Mohave is projected to drop an additional two feet.
Water releases from Davis Dam at that time may be slightly less than average
for this time of year, depending on how much water needs to be retained in the
lake. Lake Mohave and Davis Dam operations are projected to be at normal annual
levels from November through early 2003.
Lake Havasu
Because of the higher-than-average water orders downstream of Parker Dam during
early October, Reclamation has moved extra water into Lake Havasu to ensure
those water orders could be met without having to lower the lake below minimum
elevations. Current projections indicate Lake Havasu will remain at a higher-than-normal
elevation through mid-October. But, depending on the combinations of water releases
that may be needed to meet downstream water orders and to protect Lake Mohave
from a too-rapid drawdown, the lake could fluctuate six to twelve inches daily.
Lake Havasu is
projected to remain at normal or above normal elevations through the end of
October, but could, depending on downstream water orders, drop to the 445 foot
elevation by the end of the month. The lake is projected to remain at its normal
fall/winter elevation to 445 to 446 feet from November through February, 2003.
Lower Colorado
River Flows
As summer's typically high water demand in the lower Colorado River Basin continues
to drop to fall and winter levels, water flows on the lower Colorado River are
also dropping to their normal seasonal pattern. Daily river flows below the
dams will generally be at their lowest from about midnight to mid-morning, and
at their highest from about mid-morning to mid-evening each day. The further
one lives or recreates downstream from the dams, the later in the day one will
experience the daily high and low flow periods. Since water will be released
only to meet downstream demands, river flows are projected to be similar to
those in fall 2001.
