C153582 Feasibility Study

• Contract/PO #: C153582
• Contractor Name: Colorado River Water Conservation District
• Contract Type: Loan
• Water District: 0
• County: Larimer
• Loan Projects - Doc Type: Feasibility Study

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DRAFf
FY 1995 Proposal
Yampa River Basin Operation and Management Plan
and Elkhead ReselVoir Enlargement
July 27, 1994
Page 2

II. Relationship to Recovery Program/Ranking Factors:

.

The Recovery Program has identified the Yampa River as a high priority for the
acquisition and protection of instream flows for the benefit of the endangered fish.
The State of Colorado through the Colorado Water ConselVation Board has agreed
to the protection of instream flows for the benefit of the endangered fish as cited
in RIPRAP item YampalLittle Snake Rivers I.A3.

The Colorado River Water ConselVation District owns many conditional water rights
on the Yampa River and its tributaries, including the tittle Snake River. The
Colorado River Water ConselVation District and the Colorado Water ConselVation
Board have agreed to enter into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) which
outlines the process and conditions for the conveyance of the many conditional
water rights held by the Colorado River Water ConselVation District, including a
portion of the Juniper Project conditional decrees, to the Colorado Water
Conservation Board for use as appropriate by the Colorado Water Conservation
Board in protection of instream flows for the endangered fish. .

The MOU outlines a process for:

Developing a Yampa River Operation and Management Plan to 1) support
existing and future human water needs from the Yampa River basin; 2)
minimize the impacts of consumptive water uses on instream flows protected
for the benefit of the endangered fish; 3) provide for dry period
enhancement of instream flows to assist in the maintenance and recovery of
the endangered fish; 4) achieve these objectives as much as possible by
optimizing the use of existing and contemplated water storage capacity in the
basin.

Providing the financing and securing the necessary pennits and approvals for
the enlargement of Elkhead ReselVoir as central storage component of the
Yampa River Basin Operation and Management Plan.

Acceptance of a certain limited level of consumptive water use development
from the Yampa River Basin and recognition that the Yampa River Basin
Operation and Management Plan SelVes as the reasonable .and prudent
alternative to jeopardy to the endangered fish or adverse modification to
aitical habitat from the depletion impacts of 160,000 AF of average annual
depletions (approximately 110,000 AF existing average annual depletions, an .