NorthPlatteBasinWaterSupplyandNeedsReport

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Section 8 Options for the North Platte Basin The acquisition by purchase and transfer of existing water rights may be necessary for many of the options above. Leases and/or interruptible water supply agreements may also playa role. Water leases provide temporary water rights to users while interruptible water supply agreements refer to agreements whereby water supplies may be interrupted during water short years. Specific environmental and recreational options identified through the SWSI Basin Roundtable process are presented in Section 8.6. CDOW has identified several "statewide" approaches that could be implemented to address environmental needs, as indicated in Table 8-5. This table also shows a conceptual strategy (the "Three-Species Conservation Strategy") that could be applied to Colorado's Western Slope basins. Numerical analyses were performed with the WatSIT model, described in Section 7, to illustrate how an environmental option might be quantitatively incorporated into the planning of a new water supply project As an illustrative example, Figure 8-7 shows storage to yield curves for a hypothetical reservoir located on Leroux Creek in the Gunnison River Basin. Predicted yield versus storage values are a function of legally available flows for the site (as simulated by the Gunnison River Basin DSS, described in Section 7) and assumed monthly evaporation. Two curves are shown in this figure corresponding to: Alternative A - A management alternative in which the reservoir is allowed to completely empty. Alternative B - A management alternative in which a minimum pool volume of 30 percent of capacity is maintained as a recreational option. Table 8-5 CDOW Statewide and Western Slope Water Management Options I Description - -, CD6W , State of Implementation . Project Priority Three- Five-State Conservation Agreement and High Conservation Agreement between AZ, WY, UT, NM, and Species Strategy document(s) for long-term CO to be signed in spring 2004. Strategy document draft Conservation conservation and protection of three native due Dec. 2004. La Plata and Mancos River roundtail chub Strategy fish populations (bluehead sucker, roundtail broodstocks at Mumma Native Aquatic facility. chub, flannelmouth sucker) Water Quality Continue to work through State's water High Ongoing Division of Wildlife participation in WQCC quality rule-making procedures to improve hearings and other local processes to ensure non- standards and classifications for streams degradation and cooperation on wildlife issues. and water bodies. . Continue/ improve monitoring data collection, standardization, analyses, and posting; . Continue advising watershed assemblies on water quality and wildlife issues. Dynamic flows Improve coordination and communication w/ Medium No substantive discussions have occurred to date. water suppliers so that within operational, Successful implementation in other western river systems institutional, and hydrologic constraints, and Canada. dynamic releases can be made to simulate natural flow conditions. Return Flow Recognition of connectivity between irrigated Low to No discussions. Inventory of affected areas not compiled Mitigation agriculture and late-season baseflow and Medium and anecdotal to date. Project water temperatures. Ensure that changes to agricultural practices (e.g., sprinklers, or type-conversions) do not significantly impair or reduce these benefits. Western Five-State Conservation Agreement and High Strategy document draft due Dec. 2004. La Plata and Slope: Three- Strategy document(s) for long-term Mancos River roundtail chub broodstocks at Mumma Species conservation and protection of three native Native Aquatic facility. Conservation fish populations (bluehead sucker, roundtail Strategy chub, flannelmouth sucker) in Arizona, Wvominq, Utah, New Mexico, and Colorado. S:\1177\BASIN REPORTS\NORTH PLATTElSB_NORTH PLATTE. DOC CONI 8-13