BOARD00154 ‎(2)‎

• Board Meeting Date: 3/13/2007
• Description: ISF Section - Notice of 2008 Instream Flow Recommendations and Summary of ISF Workshop
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Memo

- 3 -

.

been delayed due to various concerns such as water availability and/or their potential to
impact water rights.
. The Colorado Division of Wildlife recommended several streams in water division 2.
The CDOW is interested in obtaining instream flow protection on streams with
threatened and endangered species, areas with high recreation value and those flowing
through State Wildlife Areas. In addition, the DOW streams located in Division 6, and
the Eagle River in Division 5, were previously noticed by the CWCB but have also been
delayed due to various concerns.
. Trout Unlimited, in cooperation with the CDOW, has recommended several streams
located in water divisions 1, 2, and 5. With the exception of one stream, all of these
streams contain Greenback Cutthroat Trout, a species currently listed as "threatened"
under the Endangered Species Act. The stream noticed for division I is being considered
outside the normal basin rotation schedule based on evidence that clearly outlines and
justifies the need. This exception falls within the policy guidelines concerning the basin
rotation approach that were adopted by the Board at its March 2006 meeting.

The BLM, CDOW and TU have coordinated their planning efforts for the 2007 field season and
have communicated at the ISF Workshop that they would like to concentrate their efforts in
water divisions 4 and 6. The earliest these streams could be recommended to the Board for
appropriation would be the January 2009 CWCB meeting.

Discussion

. At the workshop, staff suggested, and several Board Members agreed, that it would be beneficial for
the Board to take a more active role in defining stream protection goals and prioritizing streams that
it will consider for inclusion into the ISF program. Currently, the recommending entities bring
streams to the Board for consideration based on their internal agency goals. For example, entities
are currently recommending streams that will accomplish multiple goals including streams with
threatened species, high recreational value streams and streams located within state wildlife areas.
In some cases, these diverse goals have resulted in the recommendation of streams where there is
significant conflict with other water right interests, resulting in a substantial drain on CWCB staff
and financial resources. The development of common goals between the CWCB and the
recommending entities and a prioritization of streams based on those goals would ensure that
limited staff resources are being utilized in the best way possible.

There are 32 stream segments, as shown in the table above, that staff will be working on over the
next year. During this period, staff will review the recommendations and the supporting data,
conduct thorough water availability analyses, conduct site visits for each stream, provide broad
public notice, and discuss recommendations with the Division Engineers' offices, water districts and
water users located within the particular stream reach. The purpose of this extensive and thorough
review and noticing process is to identify and resolve issues prior to the January 2008 CWCB
meeting, when staff will ask the Board to declare its intent to appropriate. As in years past, some of
the currently recommended segments will require significantly more staff and financial resources to
resolve water users' concerns. Staff continues to be concerned regarding its limited resources and its
ability to adequately address all issues on all segments within the next year.

-

Flood Protection. Water Project Planning and Financing. Stream and Lake Protection
Water Supply Protection. Conservation Planning