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<br />. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br /> <br /> <br />Chapter 4 <br />, <br />Wafer Quanflf,! <br /> <br />4.1 OVERVIEW OF WATER <br />QUANTITY ISSUES AND <br />OBJECTIVES <br /> <br />Several water quantity issues and concerns <br />were identified and discussed during the <br />planning process: <br /> <br />Water Quantity Issues: <br /> <br />. Lack of Water Supply Information and <br />Education <br />. Lack of Cooperative Water and Land Use <br />Planning between Water Districts and <br />. Local Land Use "Decision Makers" <br />. Increasing Water Supply Demands and <br />Impacts <br />· Instream Flow Deficits <br />· Optimal Flow Unidentified <br /> <br />In response to the identified issues and <br />concerns, and in support of the goals for <br />the Plan, the following objectives were <br />developed: <br /> <br />Water Quantity Objectives: <br /> <br />1. Improve Water Quantity Information and <br />Availability of Information for Local <br />"Decision Makers" and Citizens <br /> <br />2. Develop cooperative Land Use and <br />Water Planning Policies that Address <br />Future Growth, Water Supply and <br />Stream Flow Protection <br /> <br />3. Eliminate Instream Flow Deficits <br /> <br />4.2 BACKGROUND <br /> <br />In Colorado and in other western states, <br />water quantity has been one of the most <br />important issues for growth. Competition for <br />water has been intense between front range <br />and west slope water users as well as <br />between western states. Where ample water <br />and water rights exist, communities, recre- <br />ation, and agriculture have flourished. While <br />water rights and trans-basin diversions have <br />always been a issue in Eagle County, it has <br />only recently been realized that human water <br />demand in Eagle County may exceed the <br />supply constraints. Water supply issues also <br />affect natural and recreational resources <br />associated with the watershed. <br /> <br />Stream Flow Characteristics <br /> <br />Stream flow can be measured as cubic feet <br />per second (CFS) or as stream discharge mea- <br />sured in acre feet (see glossary for definitions). <br /> <br />An acre foot is approximately the area of a <br />football field with 1 foot of standing water. <br />An acre foot is considered to be an average <br />quantity of water a family of four needs in <br />one year (per Colorado Water Education <br />Foundation) . <br /> <br />Discharge of the Eagle River, as historically <br />measured at a stream gauge below Gypsum <br />Creek, averages about 415,000 acre feet <br />per year. Most of this stream flow occurs in <br />a short period in response to melting snow- <br />pack. About 75 percent of the average annual <br />flow of the Eagle River occurs during the <br />three months of May, June, and July. <br /> <br />17 <br />