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<br />support the Endangered Fish Recovery Program. These releases are authorized for <br />agricultural and municipal and industrial (M&I) purposes, but they historically were not <br />authorized for the Endangered Fish Recovery Program. This agreement is set to expire <br />12/31/06. Grand Junction, and Fruita have agreed to extend the contract, but Palisade has <br />not yet agreed to do so. <br /> <br />d. Greg Trainor explained that a whitewater structure would create a priority right for <br />continued releases for the Endangered Fish Recovery Program, similar to a RICD, and <br />help bolster the case that continued Endangered Fish Recovery Program releases should <br />be made permanent. This has the effect of requiring that more water be kept in the river <br />fi'om Green Mountain Reservoir through Fruita. <br /> <br />1. Green Mountain Reservoir releases are required for recreational uses, but not for <br />the Endangered Fish Recovery Program, so a whitewater park would indirectly <br />make Endangered Fish Recovery Program releases permanent. <br /> <br />11. Mesa County has issued a conditional use permit for a whitewater park; however, <br />Mesa County also stipulated that the whitewater park could not ask for a RICD. <br /> <br />e. Dick Proctor, representing Mesa County, stated that the whitewater park will not bring <br />any more water down the river since Green Mountain Reservoir is already required to <br />release water for the Grand Valley project. Releases that support the fish ladder and the <br />whitewater park are nonconsumptive - they will not provide additional water for <br />consumptive uses. Therefore, he believes this is a poor use of SB 179 funds. John <br />Redifer agreed with Dick Proctor's comments. <br /> <br />f. Rick Sackbauer of Vail made a motion to approve the funding request, seconded by Greg <br />Trainor. After substantial discussion, the motion was tabled for discussion at the <br />December CBR T meeting when additional grant requests are also considered. <br /> <br />10. Mark Fuller prepared a $40,000 SB 179 grant request on behalf of the Ruedi Water and Power <br />Authority to analyze existing studies of the Roaring Fork Watershed's water resources and <br />threats to those resources. He agreed to postpone discussion of this until the December CBRT <br />meeting. <br /> <br />11. Explanation of the Endangered Fish Recovery Program - Tom Pitts, PE. <br /> <br />a. Tom Pitts is the Water Users Representative of the Upper Colorado River Endangered <br />Fish Recovery Program, 970-667-8690, h20rus@waterconsult.com <br /> <br />b. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service determined in 1983 that 21,650 acre feet, which <br />amounts to 30 cfs on an annual basis, is the minimum water necessary to support four <br />fish, the Colorado pikeminnow, Razorback sucker, Humpback chub, and Bony tail. Each <br />is listed as an endangered species; they reside in the Colorado, Y amp a- White, and Green <br />Rivers. <br /> <br />c. Today it is estimated that 800 Colorado pikeminnow survive, up from less than 400 in <br />1991. This is viewed as evidence that the Endangered Fish Recovery Program is <br /> <br />L\CWCB Imaging\Caleb\Minutes\Colorado\2006\Minutes Nov 2006 CBRTx .doc <br /> <br />3 <br />