Navajo Dam Technical Working Group

Navajo Dam

Purpose and Participation

The meeting was in-person at the Farmington Civic Center with a virtual option via Microsoft Teams. An operations and activities report from the meeting was emailed along with slides, and is available to download below in the archives.

The purpose of these meetings, held annually in January, April, and August, is to gather stakeholder 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.

Summary

The meeting was held on January 16th, 2024, in a hybrid format. Full documentation is available to download below in the Archives in PDF form.

  • Storage in Navajo on this date is 240 thousand acre-feet (kaf) higher than it was this time last year.
  • Precipitation so far in Water Year 2024 on the whole has been below average. Snow conditions have improved in the last week due to a favorable weather pattern in early January. Snowpack is still below normal as of today.  We are less than halfway through snow accumulation season.
  • Soil moisture conditions are below average and generally worse than they were last year.  Soil moisture, along with spring weather and other factors, can have significant effects on the runoff efficiency.
  • The first April-July runoff forecast of the year (January 1st) has a range of 235 kaf (37% of average) to 770 kaf (123% of average) with a median forecast of 375 kaf (60% of average). 
  • There is potential for sufficient water for a spring peak release (currently a 15% chance based on forecasts).  We would need quite a bit more snow for that to happen but don’t rule it out.
  • Reservoir is expected to peak at a minimum of 6045 feet (just slightly higher than the current elevation) under the min probable forecast, and 6055 ft or higher under the max probable forecast. The peak under the max probable forecast could be much higher, and will depend entirely on timing of runoff into the reservoir and the releases.

Next Meeting:

The next meeting will be held on Tuesday, April 23rd at 1:00 PM. This meeting is currently planned to be held in-person with a virtual option. Please contact sbehery@usbr.gov for questions or updates. Visit the Navajo Dam website at https://www.usbr.gov/uc/water/crsp/cs/nvd.html for operational updates.

 

 

 


Supporting Information