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<br />Colorado River Water Conservation District Statewide Water Supply Initiative Interests Statement <br />Page 11 of 11 <br /> <br />River District Interests vis a vis SWSI: <br /> <br />1. Recognition that some water development projects will be necessary to meet the future <br />demands, that these projects will largely be undertaken by local interests, and with the <br />exception of funding, without need for the State to playa major facilitation role. <br /> <br />2~ SWSI should reflect and document the purpose and need of a potential project to satisfy <br />future human and environmental uses of water in the basin. <br /> <br />3. SWSI should reflect and document the many benefits of enlarging existing facilities. <br /> <br />4~ SWSI should recognize this as a Tier IT (not a State project but State supported) project. <br /> <br />Overall <br /> <br />Ecological integrity (Are the headwaters overly hammered?) <br /> <br />Description: A hard topic to get our arms around, but the concept of ecological integrity needs to <br />be addressed as we go through this process. From a Western Colorado total perspective, Colorado <br />can consumptively use approximately 28% of the 11 Million Acre Feet which arise in Western <br />Co]orado~ Some basins will see more than this 28% being developed and some lessf Currently, the <br />Colorado River above Grand Junction is about 40% developed, and Upper Grand and Summit <br />Counties are over 75%~ This has had the result of severely reducing base flows and eliminating peak <br />flows, thereby changing the character of the river system. This study should attempt to at least <br />recognize, if not address the question of "How much of a River Basin can be developed and still <br />allow it to maintain its ecological integrity; i.e. still be a river system which supports the recreational <br />economy which has become so important to Western Colorado. <br /> <br />River District Interests vis a vis SWSI: <br /> <br />1. The establishment of a base for what percentage of a basin can be developed while it <br />maintains its ecological integrity may result in pushing the development of Colorado's <br />Compact Entitlement to neighboring basins. This directly effects the entire District, and <br />drives the concept of Basin Equity. <br /> <br />River District Basin Plans <br /> <br />Description~ In the recent past, the River District undertook the development of Basin Plans in <br />each of the District's basins. These plans are largely out of date and in need of revision. SWSI <br />represents an opportunity to develop basin plans. <br /> <br />River District Interests vis a vis SWSI: <br /> <br />1. Use SWSI as an opportunity to develop basin plans~ <br />