NonBasicSpecificComments03

• Title: Comments 3
• Date: 10/21/2003
• SWSI - Doc Type: Comments

Mr~ Rick Brown and River Basin Roundtable Members
Statewide Water Supply Initiative

October 21, 2003
Page 5

6~ Hydrosphere Consultants, Inc., Gunnison River- Aspinall Unit Temperature Study,
Phase 1, Final Report, for the Endangered Species Recovery Program, March 2002,

7, Roelun, GW, U.S~ Fish and Wildlife Service, Mountain-Prairie Region. A Draft
Management Plan for Endangered Fishes in the Yampa River Basin and
enviromnental assessment, Denver, 2003~

8. U~S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Upper Colorado Endangered Fish Recovery Program,
Summary of Section 7 Consultations.

9~ U.St Fish and Wildlife Service, 2002 Red Mesa Reservoir Project Biological Opinion.

10. Annual Letter of Agreement Regarding Arkansas River Flows and. Reservoir Releases
for the Arkansas River Headwaters Recreation Area, from Executive Director,
Colorado Department of Natural Resources to the Bureau of Reclamation and the
Southeastern Colorado Water Conservation District.

11, US Anny Corps of Engineers, Metropolitan Denver Water Supply Environmental
Impact Statement, 1988. Flow requirements for sustaining physical stream habitat
and impacts that could result from altered flow regimes were developed for segments
of the South Platte River, North Fork of the South Platte River, South Boulder Creek,
Blue River, Williams Fork-River, and Fraser River.

12~ The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, Water Quality Control
Division, has developed I-day and 3D-day, 3-year low flows for stream reaches below
wastewater treatment plants for use in determining waste load allocations. Discharge
limits for wastewater treatment plants are based on the dilution flows. Flow
reductions below these levels could result in pollutant concentrations that exceed
water quality standards. I-day and 30-day, 3-year low flows for stream reaches
below wastewater plant discharges can be obtained from either the operators of the
plants or from Colorado Pollution Elimination Discharge Permits for each discharger

13. The web site of the American Whitewater Association lists stream reaches that are
popular for rafting and kayaking, along with minimum and optimum recommended
flow levels: http://www . americanwhitewater~ org/ri vers/ state/CO

14. U.S Forest Service Enviromnental Impacts Statement and Environmental
Assessments often includes analyses to assess instream flow needs for streams on
National Forest System Lands. A recent example is the Arapahoe Basin Master
Development Plan Final Environmental Impact Statement, prepared by the White
River Nation Forest, Dillon Ranger District, September 1999.

As mentioned above, we understand that the approaches under which environmental and
recreational water needs are quantified and addressed in the planning process are not as
well developed as those for agricultural, mu~icipal or industrial purposes. This does not

Trout Unlilnited: Anterica's Leading Coldwater Fisheries Conservation. Organization
Colorado Office: 1320 Pearl Street, Suite 320, Boulder ~ CO 80302
PHONE: [phone] FAX: [phone] EMAIL: [e-mail], [e-mail]