SJD_BRT_Mtg_3_Summary_Final_7-9-04

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San Juan/Dolores/San Miguel Basin Roundtable Technical Meeting #3 Meeting Summary - Five-state agreement for state species of concern. . There are water quality, mine drainage, and operational issues throughout the basin that impact the environment. . Return flow mitigation strategies should be considered for changes from agricultural to M&I land use. . A new process, the San Juan National Forest discussion, will include water resources component and may result in some forest plan revisions. . The SWSI process is improving with respect to environmental alternatives. The group is encouraged to evaluate alternatives above minimum streamflow requirements. Senate Bill 156 is a concern regarding how it might affect minimum flow requirements. Also, we should recognize that Environmental/Recreational needs for water will increase with increasing population. . It was suggested that the title of the "Rafting Reaches" coverage should be changed to better reflect true boat-based recreation, e.g., kayaking. Also, not all shown reaches can really be rafted. . There is some concern with the use of Trout Unlimited's "dry legacy" stream coverage as a source of information for SWSI. For example, why is Hermosa Creek shown on this coverage? We need to verify coverages with respect to the reaches and their source of information. . The San Juan coverages of T&E species should be verified. . Some rivers are not recreated on while others are due to their scenic beauty (not necessarily flow-related factors). One idea is to score alternatives based on how they affect reaches with the highest use (i.e., most number of people affected). . The number of permits for water-based recreation would be useful data to include. . Make sure fishing is considered as recreation. . Numbers should not be simply related to recreation capacity, there is also a "value" component of the recreational experience. . Divergence of recreational interests in some cases tries to capture the overall value of the resource. . It was noted that SWSI has not considered the timing of flows (peaks vs. late season flows) . Water benefits for recreation are also associated with it "being there" for scenic beauty and aesthetics. . Recreation needs to be held accountable for the "opportunity cost" of not being able to use the resource for other beneficial uses. What is this cost? Supply . One participant noted that the August through December flow values on the San Juan River near state line seem low. Options . The Totten Reservoir option should indicate 2,800 AF of storage. . The probable maximum precipitation policy significantly affects reservoir sizing due to spillway requirements. CDIVI 6 SJD BRT Mtg #3 Summary_Final 7-9-04.doc 7/9/2004