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Executive Summary 8. Environmental and Recreational Uses of Water are Expected to Increase with Population Growth. These Uses Help Support our Tourism Industry, Provide Recreational and Environmental Benefits for our Citizens, and is an Important Industry in Many Parts of the State. Without a Mechanism to Fund Environmental and Recreational Enhancement beyond the Project Mitigation Measures Required by Law, Conflicts Among M&I, Agricultural, Recreational, and Environmental Users Could Intensify. Colorado was the third fastest growing state during the 1990s and this high growth rate is projected to continue. One of the primary factors for this growth rate is the quality of life in Colorado. In addition to the attractive climate, the natural environment of the Rocky Mountains and the wide array of recreational opportunities attract new residents and businesses. Recreational opportunities include skiing and snowboarding, golf, hunting, bicycling, camping, hiking, backpacking, reservoir-based recreation, stream and lake fishing, watchable wildlife, rafting and kayaking, boating and water skiing. Many of these recreational activities are water-based (fishing, boating, rafting, kayaking and water skiing) or rely on water to support the activity (turf watering for golf and snowmaking for skiing and snowboarding.) management agreements to provide for the timing of flows between reservoirs have been successfully used in some basins. Similar agreements could be explored as part of future water management solutions. As water supply projects are developed for future M&I and agricultural needs, federal permitting is required by law to provide for avoidance and mitigation of adverse impacts. The permit process requires an examination of the potential to avoid and minimize project impacts, prior to considering mitigation alternatives. No significant degradation of the environment is allowed, even with mitigation. The permitting process for any new water project plus providing for the legally required mitigation can be very expensive and may render some projects too costly for the project proponents. This is especially true for agricultural and smaller or rural water providers that have a limited revenue base to pay for the project costs. The development of reliable water supplies for agricultural, municipal, and industrial uses will compete with the desire to preserve the natural environment and to maintain and enhance water-based recreation opportunities. However, there may be opportunities to achieve benefits for multiple users or use types with any project or water management solution. Desired environmental enhancements include but are not limited to: In addition to the recreational opportunities for residents, recreation and the natural environment support tourism, a major economic driver, in many parts of the state. In many headwaters counties, recreation and tourism are the largest industries. As population growth continues, there will be increasing and competing demands for water. The new permanent residents and businesses will require water for their domestic uses, residential landscaping, urban recreation, and the associated municipal, commercial, and industrial uses that accompany population growth. These same residents will also seek water-based and other types of recreation in Colorado's natural environment. In many parts of the state, the Basin Roundtables identified the need to enhance the environment and recreational opportunities. Many local efforts to evaluate and address environmental and recreational enhancements have been identified in each basin during the SWSI process. Voluntary efforts such as flow ~ $~ole'ri~ice Wo~e' $upplY Initia~ive ^ Providing flow to enhance streams or lakes for fisheries or endangered species ^ Improving habitat for fisheries and endangered species ^ Improving water quality ^ Preserving and expanding wetlands ^ Enhancements of the riparian corridors Potential recreational enhancements include but are not limited to: ^ Providing instream flows for rafting and kayaking ^ Permanent reservoir pools for flat-water recreation While it is very difficult for water providers to pay for new water projects, environmental and recreational interests have even more limited resources to provide for the desired enhancements. The CWCB has an instream flow water rights program that provides for the appropriation ~~ S:\REPORT\WORD PROCESSING\REPORT\EXEC SUMMARY 11-10-04.DOC ES-39