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<br />~G1559 <br /> <br />e <br /> <br />Upper Gunnison River Water Conservancy District <br />Briefing Paper Regarding the Impacts of the Black Canyon National Park <br />Water Rights Filing <br /> <br />The Upper Gunnison River Water Conservancy District (District) encompasses the geographic area that <br />drains into Blue Mesa Reservoir, including most of Gunnison County, and portions of Hinsdale and <br />Saguache Counties. The District's boundaries extend from Monarch Pass on the east, to Lake City on the <br />south, Blue Mesa dam on the west, and north to above the town of Mount Crested Butte. The primary <br />tributaries feeding Blue Mesa Reservoir are the Gunnison River, the Lake Fork of the Gunnison, the East <br />River, Taylor River, Tomichi Creek, Cebolla Creek, and Cochetopa Creek. <br /> <br />The District was formed in 1959 to protect the resources of the basin and to develop the Upper Gunnison <br />Storage Project conditional water rights. These water rights are located throughout the basin, and are part <br />of the Colorado River Storage Project. The District is currently seeking to demonstrate diligence on the <br />conditional water rights. It is anticipated that a portion of the water rights will be used to support the <br />District's efforts to develop a basinwide augmentation plan, which is currently the Board of Director's top <br />priority. <br /> <br />The District's effort to address augmentation needs in the basin is driven by the possibility that there will <br />be changes in the future with regard to how water rights on the Gunnison River are administered. There <br />are several downstream senior water rights that could call Upper Basin water users out (in other words, <br />. junior water users upstream would have to curtail their diversions until the downstream senior water <br />rights are met) in the event of a shortage. Historic operations of the Aspinall Unit have protected Upper <br />Basin users, and the District supports that practice. The District does understand however, that future <br />operations must address the needs of the Black Canyon National Park and the needs of the Colorado <br />River endangered fish. <br /> <br />There are approximately 60,000 acres of irrigated land in the Upper Basin. Much of this land is irrigated <br />with water rights that are junior to the Black Canyon National Park's priority. There are also numerous <br />domestic and commercial uses that are junior in priority to the Park's water right. Protection of these <br />historic water uses is critical, as is protection of the District's interests in the operation of Taylor <br />Reservoir. Current use of Taylor Reservoir provides recreational, environmental, and irrigation benefits <br />for the Upper Basin. These current operations are also considered junior to the National Park Service's <br />water right. <br /> <br />Lastly, the District, the United States, the State of Colorado, and the Colorado River Water Conservation <br />District are parties to an agreement signed a year ago providing protection for the areas tributary to the <br />Aspinall Unit from water rights calls originating from the Aspinall Unit itself. This agreement guarantees <br />that up to 60,000 acre-feet of Upper Basin junior uses would not be subject to curtailment in the event that <br />the water rights held by the United States for the Aspinall Unit are calling. The District is seeking to have <br />this and all other federal commitments honored as part of the effort to quantify a water right for the <br />purposes of the Black Canyon National Park. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />16 <br />