SWSI Environment and Recreation Needs and Priorities TRT Draft

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water rights decrees filed by other water users and by monitoring stream flows and assisting the State and Division Engineers in administering the prior appropriation system so that the CWCB's instream flow water rights are not injured. Additionally, the passage of Senate Bill 216 in 2001, which recognizes a new type of water right - RICDs - has provided a legal avenue for establishing recreational options. The presence of endangered fish in basins across the state, as described in Sections 3 and 6 of the SWSI Report, influences current stream management in accordance with the ESA. Critical habitat designations have been applied to many reaches in the state with corresponding flow recommendations. While these recommendations are not legally binding, water users are making good faith efforts to meet the recommendations. In this way, the ESA has provided for the establishment of environmental options, albeit non- legally binding options. In addition, interstate compacts and decrees and senior water rights serve to ensure that river flows are maintained. For example, approximately 75 percent of the water in the Colorado River and its tributaries must flow out of the state pursuant to the compact. Possible Future Statewide Environmental and Recreational Options Statewide environmental and recreational options are those that are not specific to a stream reach or locality, and that could potentially be applicable in more than one part of the state. Possible statewide environmental options discussed in the Basin Roundtable Technical Meetings include: . Sizing of new storage projects to include a dedicated "pool" for environmental instream flow management . Acquiring by purchase or lease existing water rights to maintain higher instream flows for the environment . Voluntary re-operation of existing projects to enhance environmental benefits without impacting yield . Releasing reservoir water in a pattern that generally follows "natural" flow conditions; e.g., The Nature Conservancy paper (Richter 1997): - Releasing periodic high flows - Maintaining average monthly stream flows within :tl standard deviation of historical average monthly flows Possible statewide recreational options discussed in the Basin Roundtable Technical Meetings include: . New reservoir pool sizing to allow for recreational opportunities . Developing minimum reservoir pool levels to maintain flatwater recreational appeal . Voluntary flow management agreements ~5\^ISI S.lal~.....ide WeIer Supply Initiclive DRAFT CDIVI C:\DOCUMENTS AND SETTINGS\ROWANNC\DESKTOP\SWSI\RICKREDREC_ENV WHITE PAPER_1 Q-4-QS.DOC 13