SWSI_Demand_Methodology_11-26-03

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CONI Methodologies for Estimating and Projecting Urban (Municipal & Industrial) and Agricultural Demands and Environmental and Recreational Flow Requirements November 2003 . Water Division 7 - San Juan and Dolores Basins: Claims were made and prosecution of those claims is in-progress. Mitigation Measures Federal Permitting - Every project or diversion that exists on or crosses any federal land requires a federal permit and may be subject to the imposition of certain mitigation measures by the permitting agency, even projects or diversions that have existed for many years. These mitigation measures limit the ability of projects to totally dry any stream below the project diversion point. While the State of Colorado does not concede the legality of certain mitigation measures, SWSI will consider them in the context of alternatives development. Federal Endangered Species Act Considerations: Colorado River Basin - There are four endangered fish at present in the Colorado River Basin. In Colorado this includes the Yampa, White, Colorado mainstem, Gunnison, Dolores and San Juan River tributaries. Critical habitat for these fish has been designated on each one of these tributaries. Each tributary also has had or will have a set of flow recommendations and other mitigation measures (e.g., eradication of non-native species, and propagation and restocking of native species) identified that will seek to maintain or improve habitat for the endangered fish. Flow recommendations are subject to adaptive management and will change as additional information becomes available. Therefore, it is impossible to accurately predict the ultimate flow recommendations. An element of the recovery of these species is a conservation agreement with the state, wherein the state agrees to maintain the conditions that led to recovery. This will include some form of legal protection, consistent with state water law and interstate compacts, for the flows that are eventually deemed necessary for recovery. South Platte River Basin - There are three avian species in the Central Platte River in Nebraska and one fish species in the Lower Platte River in Nebraska, which are the subject of an endangered species cooperative agreement between Colorado, Nebraska, Wyoming, and the Federal government. A proposed program to address endangered species is currently under development. Colorado's contribution to the proposed program could include water re-regulation to address historic depletions, money for habitat acquisition and management, and monitoring and research, and a plan to address future depletions. This proposed program is also subject to adaptive management. Other Environmentally Sensitive Areas: Environmentally sensitive areas that may be affected by water development and management activities will be described at a reconnaissance level. These include sensitive land uses such as national and state parks and monuments, wilderness areas, national and state forests, and other sensitive federal and state land uses that may be impacted by water development and management activities. 14 S:\TASK 8 & 9 SUPPLY AND DEMAND\SWSI DEMAND METHODOLOGY 11-26-03.DOC