Gunnison - Paonia Feldman Diversion Reconstruction Project (Parts 1 & 2)_Water Activity Summary

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water. This is particularly common in later summer and early fall and during drought conditions. This dewatering of the river leaves fish trapped in pools, usually leading to mortality as result of low oxygen levels and lethal water temperatures. The push-up dam also prevents fish migration and creates a safety hazard for boaters during high and medium flow periods when water does overflow the dam. The Paonia and Feldman Ditch Diversion Project’s three main goals include: Enhance watershed health through restoration of an efficient water-conserving diversion 1. structure . The proposed structure will deliver exactly the decreed amount of water into the existing supply systems using a technologically up-to-date system to make efficient use of the water allotted to the ditches. This will reduce the need for those with senior water rights to restrict flow to junior users, as well as increase flows for aquatic life, the surrounding communities, and the Gunnison River Basin. The elimination of annual bulldozing will reduce upstream and downstream migration of the down cutting process that is currently taking place. Improve fish and wildlife habitat by reducing the need for bulldozers. 2. Once the permanent low maintenance structure is built, channel disturbance by large equipment will cease. This will decrease suspended sediment, improving and diversifying aquatic macroinvertebrate and fish species that require clear clean water. Create safer recreation through construction of a low-head rock diversion wall. 3. The community will benefit from the absence of a river-wide gravel dam that diverts the entire river. This will make recreational boating through this reach safer. Boaters will be able to float over a new rock wall without being sucked toward the ditch. Fish populations and the aquatic food web they rely on will be bolstered, increasing the carrying capacity of the riparian ecosystem and creating a more sustainable fishery for angling opportunities. Long-term benefits to the community include a more reliable water source for sustainable agriculture and reduced costs of water delivery to agricultural producers. The community will also benefit from improved environment and aesthetics, as well as an economy boosted by an increased number of boaters and anglers using the river in the spring, drawn by improved recreation opportunities. The project will be of major benefit to the water commissioner; having a controllable structure at the point of diversion will provide a much better idea about who is getting the water and will help the commissioner and the ditch rider to control flows and make determinations about calls. This will further the goal in SWSI Recommendation #1 of reducing conflict among interest groups. The project also addresses the issue of funding environmental and recreational enhancements, as addressed in SWSI Finding #8 and Recommendation #4. The benefits to environmental and recreational uses have been enumerated elsewhere in this proposal. The project will also help small agricultural users, an issued identified in SWSI Finding #9. The proposed project meets the objectives or furthers the goals identified in the SWSI Report. Finding #1 and Recommendation #3 speak to the issue of agricultural needs and increased environmental and recreational needs. This project is located at the upper portion of the Paonia River Park. The project will provide better control of river flows and keep more water in the river - 3 -