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<br />Four Comers Free Press <br /> <br />Page 4 of 4 <br /> <br />rafting season in our lifetime but in the long term - say in 100 years - that could change as <br />more tunnels are built and more water extracted from the valley. RIDes are insurance for rivers <br />depending on water sports, Mallet explained. Under the pending recreation-right deal, once <br />senior rights are claimed - and assuming there is average snowpack - the upper Arkansas <br />would be guaranteed 1,500 cfs through the season, bumping to 1,800 cfs during river festivals in <br />July. <br /> <br />Focusing on river sports has been wildly successful, and a lot of fun, said Salida Administrator <br />Julie Feier. "Before, we had a concrete wall between downtown and the river. Now it is a river <br />park with a trail, beaches, swimming and play holes for kayakers. Residents and tourists are <br />there all the time now and it has created a boom for us." <br /> <br />Mark Garcia, city manager for Pagosa Springs, also is tapping into the San Juan River for <br />economic benefit. Rapids were improved along the town stretch, which flows by the town's <br />world-famous natural hot springs. Phase II is under way for additional fish-habitat restoration, <br />better river access and more waves for boaters. <br /> <br />"The whitewater improvements have been a great hit in town," Garcia said. "We created a <br />standing wave for surfing and where the river was once wide and shallow, we condensed the <br />low flows into pools for fish habitat." <br /> <br />Upstream development and growth is not an issue now, he said, so Pagosa is not considering <br />applying for recreational water rights. <br /> <br />Dolores Mayor Marianne Mate said the idea is worth considering. In recent years ecological <br />improvements have been made to the Dolores River through town, a popular stretch for <br />kayakers, inner-tubers, swimmers and fishermen. The recent river festival attracted a huge <br />crowd this year, triple that of previous years, she said. <br /> <br />"When the river flowed high like it did this season, more people get to see Dolores, and there is <br />a increase in sales taxes, so the impact is very positive," Mate said, adding that Dolores <br />struggles to attract summer tourists; hunting season in the fall is the big boost. <br /> <br />"We've discussed a kayak course as a way to attract visitors during the shoulder season in <br />spring when the runoff is ideal," she said. <br /> <br />Mallet urges communities with rafting not to take the flow for granted. <br /> <br />"File sooner rather than later," he said. "Recreation is a driving economic force for Colorado, <br />and securing rights for our water parks and rafting gives us standing against inevitable new <br />development. " <br /> <br />Back to archives <br /> <br />All contents copyrighted. No reprints of articles without permission. <br /> <br /> <br />http://www.fourcomersfreepress.com/news/2005/080502.htm <br /> <br />10/4/2005 <br /> <br /> <br />~ <br />