BOARD0116

• Board Meeting Date: 1/24/2001
• Description: ISF Section - Instream Flow Appropriations
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Memo

STATE OF COLORADO
Bill Owens, Governor
DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES

I/.~,"~.",.~,".,.. DIVISION OF WILDLIFE
AN EaUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER
.....,i;.....'

Russell George, Director
6060 Broadway
Denver, Colorado 80216
Telephone: [phone]

.

TO: Colorado Wildlife Commission

FROM: Jay W. Skinner, PS R/S IIL-Instream Flow Program Coordinator

DATE: 8 January 2001

SUBJECT: Agenda Item 16, January 11-12, 2001 Commission Meeting,
Instream Flow Recommendations - Yampa River

Background

At the December, 1999 Wildlife Commission Workshop, the Commission echoed the request from DNR
Executive Director Greg Walcher that there be a higher level of involvement of the Wildlife Commission
in the state's Instream Flow and Natural Lake Level Program. At that workshop, the Commission stated
their desire to review and formally approve (1) the annual instream flow priority stream list and work plan
and, (2) any instream flow recommendations that the Division has developed. At the March, 2000
Commission Meeting in Fort Collins, the Commission approved the 2000 work plan and priority list. The .
purpose of this agenda item is to seek Commission approval for instream flow recommendations that the
staff has developed for the Yampa River from Stagecoach Dam downstream to the high water line for
Lake Catamount.

Introduction

In the late 1980s, the Upper Yampa Water Conservancy District (UYWCD), with financial assistance
from the Bureau of Reclamation and Colorado Water Conservation Board (CWCB), built Stagecoach
Reservoir. Stagecoach Reservoir was built to provide water to downstream users in the Yampa River
basin during dry periods and to generate hydropower. In 1989, UYWCD applied for a fish and wildlife
mitigation 'grant from the State of Colorado pursuant to section 37-60-122.2, CRS (copy attached).

Section 37-62-122.2 established the fish and wildlife resources account within the CWCB's construction
fund. The purpose of this account is to provide financial assistance to a developer of the state's water
resources to offset some of the fish and wildlife mitigation costs of water development. When fish and
wildlife mitigation costs exceed 5 % of the total construction costs, a'project proponent may be eligible
for a mitigation grant for costs over the 5 % level. The statute sets up a process by which a project
proponent submits a mitigation proposal to the Division of Wildlife, DOW staff then prepares a mitigation
plan for the Wildlife Commission's approval. After the plan is approved by the Commission, the CWCB
considers the plan and upon their approval, the plan becomes the official state position on mitigation for

DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES, Greg E. Walcher, Executive Director
WILDLIFE COMMISSION, Bemard L. elack, Jr., Chairman . Rick Enstrom, Vice-Chairman . Philip James, Secretary
Members, Tom Burke · Mark LeValley. Marianna Raftopoulos . Robert Shoemaker. Olive Valdez
Ex-Officio Members, Greg E. Walcher and Don Ament

.