Rio Grande - Rio Grande Initiative_Application_2008

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. Sustaining river flows and thus extending the irrigation season longer on an annual basis, and . Assisting the CDWR's administration of the river and the Rio Grande Compact. The Rio Grande Initiative, by securing key land and senior surface water rights along the river, is the most direct approach possible to sustaining these key functions for consumptive needs. It is achieved through voluntary, incentive-based means with willing-sellers and willing-buyers and funded by state and federal programs and private donations, including from the landowners themselves. SWSI on Non-Consumotive Needs In Section 6.1 on Non-Consumptive Water Supply Needs in the Rio Grande Basin, the report states that: "While flow enhancement for environmental and recreational uses was identified by many SWSI participants as being important, few Identified Projects and Processes... ..directly address flow enhancements beyond statutory requirements.' Again, the Rio Grande Initiative is a project to directly address flow issues. Securing land and senior surface water rights will help to sustain current river flows for the benefit of environmental and recreational uses including wildlife such as: . the Gold Medal fishery between South Fork and Del Norte; . the habitat of the Federally listed endangered species, the Southwestern Willow Flycatcher, as well as the recently de-listed, Bald Eagle and candidate for listing, Yellow Billed Cuckoo.; and . the substantial riparian wetlands and vital wildlife habitat along the entire river corridor. Further, the SWSI Report states: "One concept for environmental and recreational flow management brought forth by environmental and recreational interest group representatives in SWSI was the "Conserve, Protect and Restore" (CPR) approach. The "Conserve" component is centered on keeping currently healthy- both in terms of quality and quantity - rivers healthy. The "Protect" component suggested by the interest groups includes keeping threatened but currently healthy reaches whole, or as close to whole as possible." The Rio Grande Initiative is directly implementing these strategies to both conserve and protect the Rio Grande corridor through our willing-seller Iwilling-buyer approach. It is clear that a preventative, proactive approach to keeping the Rio Grande as "whole" as possible is the preferred strategy to later having to deal with ever greater fragmentation of the land and changes in water rights along the corridor. Addressing these issues later would come at even greater cost and complexity-and with fewer and lesser benefits achievable once the functions are diminished. While conservation of the river corridor is already an expensive undertaking, the costs will only rise in the future, as evidenced by the dramatically rising land values depicted in this graph: Per Acre Value of River Properties in Rio Grande County (80 acres and larger) 1 0000 8000 6000 4000 2000 o Properties For Sale Today Properties Sold 2001-2006 $/acre Area ~t~O of 32 Vista Janual'Y 2008 Rio Grande Initiative