WSP12668

• File Number: 8230.400.30.F
• Description: Durango RICD - Other Reports
• State: CO
• Basin: Colorado Mainstem
• Water Division: 7
• Date: 3/1/2006
• Author: W. W. Wheeler and Associates
• Title: City of Durango Boating Park Hydrology Study
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Report/Study

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CONCLUSIONS

We conclude that the proposed Durango RICD water rights will satisfy the
hydrologic and water rights criteria considered by the CWCB and the Water Court.

The Durango RICD will not impact Colorado's ability to fully develop its
entitlement under the Upper Colorado River Compact. The RICD is non-consumptive,
so it would not consume any of the water available to Colorado under its compact
entitlement. Detailed analysis by the Endangered Fish Flow and Colorado River
Compact Water Development Workgroup indicates that potential development in the
San Juan River basin would command a relatively small amount of the available water
resources, leaving 1,455,388 to 1,587,600 acre-feet of surplus water available for new
non-consumptive instream flpw appropriations without adversely affecting Colorado's
ability to fully utilize its compact apportionnlent. The amount of the proposed RICD

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water rights (encompassing 159,000 acre-feet per year) would be much less than the
amount of surplus water identified by the workgroup. As evidenced by the call records,
water shortages are presently nonexistent along the Animas River. Decreed conditional
water rights permit the development of additional water supplies senior to the Boating
Park appropriation. When complete, the Animas-La Plata Project will provide increased
use of the Animas River flows downstream of the Boating Park.

The proposed RICD will promote maximum utilization of the Animas River waters
within the State of Colorado. The Boating Park will have a minor impact on upstream
development, due to availability of streamflow that is surplus to the RICD claims,
decreed conditional water rights, pending claims that will be senior to the RICD, and
additional claims for existing uses that might be filed prior to the end of 2006. The RICD
will work in tandem with the Animas La-Plata project, by providing water that can be
diverted to Lake Nighthorse or used to satisfy bypass requirements.

During most years, there has been sufficient streamflow during each month to
support the claimed flows. With respect to exceedance probability, the proposed
Boating Park flows fall into appropriate percentile ranges throughout the year.
Essentially all the available streamflow used by the RICD will be attributable to

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