West Slope Caucus 5-18-06 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

Gunnison Roundtable is in the process of developing the bylaws, and we have spent time educating ourselves. Current legal issues are the topic of the next meeting. Education among roundtable members varies but is vital to the process. Hugh added that going forward from an educated position can only be beneficial. Process is unique and allows for fleshing out issues. Mr. Sanford mentioned the following potential issues on the river: water quality, quality vs. quantity and endangered fish protections. Gunnison also needs to be protected from a downstream call. Hugh encouraged all West Slope basins to work together - use the grassroots process, from the bottom up. He added that the intention of the 1177 Roundtables is to work together for the betterment of everyone. David Merritt - Colorado River Mainstem: Dave began his remarks by saying that he sometimes feels like the chicken and the pig sitting down for breakfast. His basin is blessed with a number of transbasin diversions. Their roundtable has 34 voting members and 6 non-voting members from the Front Range, and it enjoys a plethora of federal and state agencies to assist them. The Mainstem Roundtable has a very diverse membership, with vast expertise and a great knowledge of their area. A variety of concerns and issues have been brought to the table. The upper main stem basin, above Glenwood Springs, has a resort economy and is heavily impacted by transbasin diversions. Along with everyone else, they have concerns for future growth. The lower mainstem basin has more of a natural resource and resort support economy. The explosion in natural gas exploration has created conflicts with demands for resort employees and demands for employees by that industry. At the lower end of the basin in the Grand Junction area, irrigation is the major user of water. The Colorado River Roundtable needs to understand the issues each other area has, and to educate everyone about those issues. It needs to identify uses and how to look toward identifying what is impOltant to western Colorado. Mr. Merritt added that it is important to identify the conflicting demands which having a diverse membership on the roundtable helps. Tom Sharp - Yampa/White: Mr. Sharp thanked the two conservation districts, and Rick Brown and the SWSI team for organizing these discussions. His roundtable has met three times, adopted bylaws on April 19 and selected their representatives to the IBCC. The roundtable is determined to meet quatterly and is moving slowly in an educational process. Mr. Shape said that his area has a history of collaboration, particularly with endangered fish issues. Collaboration led to the Yampa Plan 2 or 3 years ago, an agreement for the protection of the fish species. He mentioned the Elkhead Reservoir enlargement, which was funded in part by the recovery program and assistance from the River District and City of Craig, and the completion ofRICD in Steamboat Springs. The Yampa above Steamboat is over-appropriated, and the RICD will change the nature of water planning in the upper reaches of the River. Mr. Sharp noted that there are numerous challenges in the basin: The lower White River is facing energy development, and those issues need to be addressed on a collaborative basis. Another problem is the population growth outside of resOlt areas. For example, the Stagecoach area will see significant growth along w/Hayden. There is a need for a municipal supply in the Morrison Creek Basin as well as an additional agriculture reservoir in Moffet County. He noted that small ag reservoir construction is very difficult. From an economic standpoint, money will be short. The Yampa River Basin has always been slow in water