Catalog Record

Colorado River Basin 24-Month Study

The 24-Month Study projects future conditions in the Colorado River system extending out 24 months from the run month using a single trace of hydrology. The projections are updated every month, typically by the 15th day of the month, to provide regular updates on basin conditions for operations and planning purposes. The 24-Month Study is run using Reclamation’s 24-Month Study RiverWare model. Each month the system conditions are simulated using a single hydrologic trace, known as the Most Probable unregulated inflow forecast, which is informed by the National Weather Service Colorado Basin River Forecasting Center forecast. In January, April, August, and October, or when necessary to incorporate changing conditions, the Probable Minimum and Probable Maximum inflow scenarios are run through the 24-Month Study. The Probable Minimum inflow scenario reflects a dry hydrologic condition which statistically would be exceeded 90% of the time. The Most Probable inflow scenario reflects a median hydrologic condition which statistically would be exceeded 50% of the time. The Probable Maximum inflow scenario reflects a wet hydrologic condition which statistically would be exceeded 10% of the time. There is approximately an 80% probability that a future elevation will fall inside the range of the minimum and maximum inflow scenarios. Additionally, there are possible inflow scenarios that would result in reservoir elevations falling outside the ranges indicated in these reports. Each 24-Month Study report describes projected operations and power generation for Colorado River system reservoirs including Fontenelle, Flaming Gorge, Taylor Park, Blue Mesa, Morrow Point, Crystal, Vallecito, Navajo, Powell, Hoover Dam - Lake Mead, Davis Dam - Lake Mohave, and Parker Dam - Lake Havasu, including a narrative summary of projected operations and tables of monthly reservoir operations and power generation under the specified inflow scenario.

Generation Effort Colorado River Basin 24-Month Study

Location Colorado River Basin

Themes Water

Tags Water Modeling, Colorado River, Future Projections, Water Management Operations, Hoover, Hydropower, Lake Powell, Colorado River Basin, Hydrology, Modeling, New Mexico, Surface Water, Lake Mead, Glen Canyon, Arizona, California, Nevada, Utah, Wyoming, 24-Month Study

Reclamation Project Yuma Project, Boulder Canyon Project, Colorado River Storage Project, Colorado River Front Work and Levee System, Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Project

Reclamation Program

Location Information

Location Name Colorado River Basin

Location Description The Colorado River Basin, located in the southwestern United States, occupies an area of approximately 250,000 square miles. The Colorado River is approximately 1,400 miles long and originates along the Continental Divide in Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado, and ends where it meets the Gulf of California in Mexico.

Location Tags Colorado River Basin

Location Parent

State(s) Arizona, California, Colorado, New Mexico, Nevada, Utah, Wyoming

Unified Region(s) Upper Colorado Basin, Lower Colorado Basin

Timezone

Elevation [ N/A ]

Vertical Datum [ N/A ]

Coordinates (lat, long) See Location Details

Horizontal Datum WGS84

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Colorado River Basin 24-Month Study

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