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f also support the mention of encouraging multiple uses of water to provide recreation and wildlife benefits --- there is a lot of potential, I think, for such win-w;n efforts. It would be worthwhiJe to include cooperative multiple use of water for other use objectives (ag, M&I, enviro) as well as recreation. The objectives no longer include any reference to reliabitity of supplies. That is an important but drfficult concept that will need to be grappled with at some point. How much reliability do we want or need and how much are we willing to pay for? What trade-ofls are or are not acceptably of reliability VS~ other values? While the new objective addresses sustainability - an important concept that I for one did want to see included...... it now fails to address the separate issue of reliability. Under operational flexibility, it would be good to add a subobjective to actually "encourage cooperation among different water systems to maximjze collective benefits" or words to that effect, to address the opportunity for better using existing system assets through collaboration. STU D I ES/DEMANDS/PROJ ECTS Unfortunately, I do not have detailed studies on flow needs for all streams in the South Platte watershed...... but I'd like to at least make mention of some of the streams that have especially significant values that should be considered. Of course, the South Platte is a major fishery (both the mainstem and its tributaries on State Wildlife Areas up the Middle Fork and South Fork). The Cache la Poudre and Big Thompson are also very important regional fisheries, and both would benefit from enhanced winter flows~ Boulder Creek; Bear Creek, Clear Creek, the North Fork South Plattet and the St~ Vrain are also significant fisheries for their local communitres~ The South Platte also is home to a federally-fisted fish species, the greenback cutthroat trout. The Greenback Recovery Plan (available from USFWS, and I will send you a copy) lists recovery waters for the species~ Some are in Rocky Mountain National Park and are protected by federal reserved water rrghtst others are outside the Park and need to be addressed through ewes instream fJows or other tools. While they do not fall in the South Platte basin, if similar listings of restoration waters for Colorado River cutthroat trout (found in aU our west-slope basins) and Rio Grande cutthroat trout would be helpful to your work in those basins, I can provide those as wen- please let me know. The Metropolitan Water Suppry Investigation, commissioned by the state I has a wealth of information on water supply strategies tor the Denver metro area from conjunctive use to effluent management to interruptible supply agreements. The strategies and recommendations of this prior state study shourd definite~y be integrated into the SWSI. I assume you already have this report, but it is available on the ewes website at: b,UR:llww)~{J::wcb.~~~late_..9_o. us/R eso Yrg,~_ StltQl~.$LM ~tro Wa ta r Supply B!IDor:t~gQf Western Resource Advocates recently put out a USmart Water" report with recommendations on water use efficiency that could be applied with rear benefit in Colorado~ It is available at: http://www.wasternrasaurces.org/water/smartwater.htm] The Pacific Institute also put out a water efficiency report (''Waste Not Want Not") that] while geared at California, nonetheless offers some ideas that coufd be applied in Colorado especially in terms of water savings from improved indoor appliances. It is available at: http://www.pacinstorg/reports/urbanusage/index.htm The City of Boulder commissioned studies on instream flow needs in the Boulder Creek watershed. I should be receiving a copy of that study shortly (hopefully next week) and will send a copy on to you as soon as I receive it. The study included IFIM and R2CROSS studies of flow needs for Boulder Creek (including Middle and South Boulder Creek). South Boufder Creek, in particulart currently suffers from inadequate winter flows and could benefit from new supplies or operations that provided more fish-friendly flows below Eldorado Springs. (The City of Boulder is already taking or has taken steps to improve flows for Middle and North Boulder Creek as well as the mainstem). Denver Water, Aurorat the Colorado Divjsion of Wildlife, Trout Unlimited, and others were involved in the development of an instream flow plan for the South Platte River mainstem below Spinney, Elevenmiler and Cheesman Reservoirs~ I sent a copy of this plan to you previously, but not seeing in mentioned in your fist of comments submitted I will resend it as an attachment now (STREAMFLOW PLAN.doc). It includes both minimum flow commitments and target flows (goals for flows that will be met when possible) that should be factored in as environmental demands in the basin. The flow figures were based on IFIM studies done for Denver Water during the permitting process for Two Forks. 3/8/2004