GCDAMP- HFE 2013
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Contents
2013 High Flow Experiment Snapshot
- The 2013 HFE represents the 2nd controlled high flow release conducted under the HFE Protocol.
- A preliminary analysis of these images indicates that sandbar size increased at 53% of sites, remained unchanged and 30% of sites, and decreased at 18% of sites
- Before and after images from the November 2013 HFE from each of the 40 sandbar sites monitored with remotely deployed digital cameras are available here.
Sediment Conditions
Fall Accounting Period
- Paria input (Jul 1 - Nov 10): 1,849,192
- Accumulated in Upper Marble Canyon (Jul 1 - Nov 10, lower bound) = 1,561,000
- Accumulated in Lower Marble Canyon (Jul 1 - Nov 10, lower bound) = 64,000
- Available for HFE: 1,561,000 + 64,000 = 1,625,000
- Paria input (Nov 11 - 16): 1,000
- Evacuated from Upper Marble Canyon (Nov 11 - 16, lower bound) = -805,000
- Accumulated in Lower Marble Canyon (Nov 11 - 16, lower bound) = 178,000
- Left over in Marble Canyon after HFE (Nov 11 - 16): 1,625,000 + 1,000 -805,000 + 178,000 = 999,000
- "The quality of sand available is huge, and to put it in perspective, there will be more sand AFTER this HFE than before last year's HFE (about 650,000 mt)." [GKnowles_TWG MM_131106]
- Paria input (Dec 1 to Apr 1): 40,000
- Evacuated from Upper Marble Canyon (Dec 1 to Apr 1, lower bound) = -117,000
- Evacuated from Lower Marble Canyon (Dec 1 to Apr 1, lower bound) = -27,000
- Available for spring HFE: -117,000 - 27,000 = -144,000
HFE Details
Schedule & Duration
- November 11, 9am begin upramp to powerplant capacity
- November 11, 1pm open bypass tubes
- Full Capacity: November 11, 8pm - November 15, 8pm
- November 16, 3pm end of HFE
- Total duration: 5 days & 5 hours (96 hours at peak release)
Ramp Rates
- Ramp up: 4,000 cfs/hr from 5,000 - 19,100 cfs, then 3,750 cfs/hr to peak
- Ramp down: 1,875 cfs/hr from 34,100 - 19,100 cfs, then 1,500 cfs/hr to 8,000 cfs
HFE Release Details
- Maximum total release: ~34,100 cfs
- Powerplant capacity: 19,100 cfs
- River outlet tubes: 15,000 cfs
- Hydropower generation units available: 6
- River outlet tubes: 4
Releases and Lake Elevation
- Releases will range from 5,000 - 8,000 cfs prior to and after the HFE
- Estimated acre feet of water bypassed during HFE: ~129 kaf
- November volume = 670 kaf
Costs
- Estimated costs to hydropower: $1.74 million
- Actual costs to hydropower: $2.593 million
- Direct expenses for removal of concession assets: $9,961
SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS
- Financial analysis of experimental releases conducted at Glen Canyon Dam during Water Year 2014 (i.e. the 2013 HFE)
- Final HFE Memo to Larry Walkoviak 10-25-13 with attachment
- Fall 2013 HFE Protocol Decision Process
- 2013 HFE Locations and dates of hydrograph routing
- System Overview to Basin States- USGS Schmidt
- USGS Science Overview- Fisheries and Aquatic Ecology to Basin States- SVanderkooi
COMPLIANCE
- A 30-day letter was sent notifying MOA signatories of a possible HFE in November 2013.
- DOI consultation meeting with the Basin States_ October 22, 2013.
- Government to Government tribal consultation: Pueblo of Zuni_ September 10, 2013.
- Government to Government tribal consultation: Navajo Nation_ September 11, 2013.
CONCERNS
- Pueblo of Zuni: concern that multiple HFE's under the HFE protocol could result in power cost increases for individual rate payers.
Request to USBR made for detailed description on how the economic effects of multiple HFEs on power rate payers will be monitored.
ADDITIONAL
- Updates on the 2013 High Flow Experiment
- 2013 Sandbar tour: deposition following the 2013 high flow on the Colorado River in Grand Canyon
- GCMRC has installed digital cameras that capture 5 Images every day at 33 sandbar monitoring sites throughout Marble and Grand Canyon between Lees Ferry and Diamond Creek.
- Modified original proposal to avoid additional WAPA hydropower loss (off-peak hour sales) -- Saves $30,000
- Glen Canyon Dam will start pumping an Olympic-sized swimming pool worth of water into the Colorado River every other minute--INCORRECT--LINK
- “By sending enough water downstream to fill an Olympic-sized swimming pool every few seconds...
- the 96-hour-release will pick up enough sand from river channels to fill a building as big as a football field and as tall as the Washington Monument, all the way to the brim.”
- Lake Powell is expected to drop 2.5 feet during the course of the week. --LINK
- SVaderkooiFact Check on swimming pool comparison: Wikipedia Swimming pool size. Assuming a depth of 2 m, a 50 m x 25 m pool equals about 88,000 cubic feet. At peak Reclamation said the release from the dam was around 34,000 cfs so an olympic-sized pool would fill in about 2.6 s. Note that the USGS gage at Lees Ferry measured peak flow at about 37,000 cfs, so a little quicker (about 2.4 s) if you use that number.
Contributor: Category: Sediment, Recreation, Water delivery
