Arkansas - Ark Headwater Diversion Structure Improvement_Application

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Water Supply Reserve Account – Grant Application Form Form Revised May 2007 _______________________________________ 4. Please provide an overview of the water project or activity to be funded including – type of activity, statement of what the activity is intended to accomplish, the n eed for the activity, the problems and opportunities to be addressed, expectations of the participants, why the activity is important, the service area or geographic location, and any relevant issues etc. Please include any relevant TABOR issues that may affect the Contracting Entity. Please refer to Part 2 of Cr iteria and Guidance document for additional detail on information to include. This grant application is for $57,954.50 to conduc t a detailed engineering study within the upper Arkansas River Valley on four existing water divers ion structures in order to develop engineered designs and obtain cost estimates for the completion of future construction activities. There are four diversion structures located w ithin the Arkansas Headwaters Recreation Area (specifically between Granite, CO and Canon Cit y, CO) which are in need of improvement or replacement for multiple reasons. Updating these structures will create more efficient water delivery for the intended water users at all water levels, improve the safety of recreational boaters, and improve the fishery by allowing safe passage a quatic species both up and down the river corridor during critical time periods such as the spawning sweason. The Granite Diversion Structure at Granite is unpassable to rafts and kayaks year-round and if accidently boated under current conditions could very well result in a single or multiple fatialities. The Helena Diversion Structure at Buena Vist a is currently run by both private an commercial boaters, but is extremely dangerous due to portions of the structure that have shifted over time creating an unpredicitable and dangerous spillway that resulted in a commercial passenger boating fatality during the 2007 summer boating season. The Hydraulic Diversion Structure at Canon City is unpassable to rafts and kayaks during low water time periods in the summer months since the ditch company that maintains this structure typically has to extend the structure from one bank to the othe r in order to get their appropriated water. As s result, both commercial and private boaters must dr ag their boats over this diversion structure in order to continue to the take-out in Canon City, CO . This activity typically results in several minor injuries to visitors to the AHRA as they navigate over the rocks and debris of the diversion structure, as well as continued deterioration of the structure itself. The Oil Creek Diversion Structure at Canon City cu rrently has exposed metal and therefore presents another serious danger to all recreational boaters at various flow levels as they make their way to the take-out in Canon City. In addition to the above noted safety issues, all of the above identified structures also prohibit the safe passage aquatic species both up and down the river cooridor during critical time periods such as the spawning season. It is therefore desirable to obtain Arkansas Basin funding which will provide engineering plans and specific costs estimates to eventually allow for an improved fishery and enhanced public safety for the ever increasing recreational boating community. 6