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<br />Colorado files for :endangered fish flow rights
<br />
<br />The' Colorado Water Conservation
<br />Board voted Dec. 13 to file four new
<br />water rights applications for in-stream
<br />flows to protect the natural environment
<br />for the benefit of endarigered fish in the
<br />Yampa and Colorado rivers: ' '
<br />The Board h~s filed for these right~ '
<br />in state water court; obtaining final
<br />decrees could'take about three years:'
<br />"These water, rightapplicatioris' wiil
<br />provide the fIO\v protection rieeded for
<br />endangered fish recovery and habitat
<br />protection," said RandySeahoim of the
<br />Colorado 'Water Conservation Board.
<br />"The' filing" of,these, applications, indi-,.
<br />cates the Board's, commitment toward
<br />making the Recovery Program a suc-
<br />cess." .
<br />Two river re~ches will be protected:
<br />the Yampa River between'the Williams
<br />Fork and Little Snake confluences; and
<br />the "IS-mile reach" of the Colorado
<br />River between Palisade and, the
<br />Gunnison River confluence. The new,
<br />rights will be junior in priority to all
<br />existing decrees, "
<br />The rights are structured as follows:
<br />
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<br />. The "base-flow water right" for
<br />each reach willliniit impacts to the fish
<br />and their habitat during low-flow con-
<br />ditions. The base-flow water rights will
<br />not be subject to modification or to any
<br />, carve;out for future devel~pment.
<br />'. A "carve-out" for future develop- "
<br />ment of new consumptive uses within
<br />each basin is protected.
<br />, . A ,"recovery flow water right" for:
<br />. each ,each will protect flows in excess
<br />,of the' base flow and carve-out as a first
<br />step, in a long-range effort to re,create'
<br />more natural flow patterns.' The recov-
<br />ery flow right for each reach will con-
<br />tain a modifiibleportion that can be'"
<br />,added to' the. carve-out if necessary'to ,
<br />'accommodate future development.
<br />, Modificationsmay be needed to utilize
<br />unused carve-out from another basin or
<br />to permit additional development with-
<br />,in Colorado's compact apportionment.
<br />On the Colorado, the base;flow
<br />water right wil1'range from 680 cubic
<br />feet per second in September to 2,009
<br />in May and June. The annual carve-out'
<br />. for future development on the Colorado
<br />
<br />includes '\00,000 acre'feet of addition-
<br />al consumptive uses to be distributed
<br />over ,the year in 'a to-be-determined
<br />manner. The recovery flow water right
<br />will include all, remaining' flows in
<br />exccss of the base flow and carve-ouL
<br />The modifiable portion of the recovery
<br />flow will be 300,000 acre-feet. "
<br />;'On the Yampa, the b~se-flow water
<br />right will range from 88 CFS i:,
<br />Septernber and October. to _ I ,200 in
<br />May. The imnuat" carve-out for ,ti1ture
<br />development on thc Yampa is 52,000
<br />'acre,feet of ad.ditional consumptive
<br />: uses to be distributed over the year' in' a
<br />to-he:detemliried manner. The recovery,
<br />flow' water. right will' include ,all
<br />remaining flows in' excess of the base
<br />flow and carve-out. The modifiable
<br />, portion of the, recovery flow will be
<br />72,000 acre-feet.
<br />Since 1988, the Recovery Program
<br />for Endangered, Fish; of the Upper
<br />,Colorado'River Basin has worked to
<br />recover endangered fish while allowing
<br />water development to proc~ed' accord, '
<br />ing to state and federal laws. '
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<br />: Mailing list available; letters to' editor welcome, :
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<br />, Letters to the Eiditor ", ' I
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<br />': Signed letters to ttie editor will be published in this newsletter on a space' :
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<br />,r-,.1ailing list ." " ' ' ,
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<br />, fill out the information below and ,send or fax as'indicated below.' ,
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<br />Your name:
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<br />I Address:
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<br />Comments or address changes? '
<br />
<br />Send letters to'the editor and mailing list requests to;; C'olorado Riv~r
<br />Recovery Program, c/o U.S; Fish and Wildlife Service, P.O. Box 25486
<br />. .' . I
<br />Denver, CO 80225, or fax to: Coiorado River Recovery Program, (303) 236-
<br />0027. "
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