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Appenrli_x B: Options for Flow Protection or Restoration <br />Chrissy Sloan, 2004 Roaring Fork Conservancy Research Fellow and Sharon Clarke, Water <br />Resource Specialist <br />The Roaring Fork Conservancy has identified several potential flow protection or restoration <br />options to improve stream flows. These include: drafting emergency loan agreements to be used <br />in dry months; obtaining seiuor water rights to be left instream; buying unused contract water; <br />altering dam operations; identifying detrimental land use practices and pursuing options through <br />land use plamung and education to minimize or mitigate their harmful effects; and education and <br />outreach to schools, public, planners, and elected officials about the relationship between water <br />quantity and timing and ecological function. As a mechanism to prioritize and implement these <br />options the Conservancy is committed to worl~ing with the Collaborative on developing a <br />watershed plan that will address water quantity issues holistically and involve stakeholders in the <br />planning and implementation process. <br />Watershed Plan <br />The process began in October 2005 when the Collaborative formed three committeestechnical, <br />development/implementation, and education/outreachto look into what should be in a <br />watershed plan, what it would take to produce a plan, how it would be developed and <br />implemented, and how to educate and involve stakeholders. These comnuttees met and reported <br />back to the Collaborative in late January 2006. The technical committee identified the following <br />preliminary benefits of a watershed plan: <br />Improved community understanding, interest, and leadership in watershed issues; <br />Articulation of a local collaborative approach for protecting and improving water quality, water <br />quantity, wetland and riparian habitat, and recreational opportuiuties; <br />Provide information and guidance to promote compatible land and river use practices; <br />A document to set priorities and planning projects; <br />Encourage partnerships to identify and fund mutually beneficial projects; <br />Open up avenues for funding projects addressing watershed health; <br />Identification of creative and acceptable ways to protect watershed health; <br />Efficient use of financial resources and effective use of agency and organizational persomlel. <br />Water quantity was identified as one of the five main topics and many of the issues associated <br />with other topics are related to water quantity issues. The following watershed topics and issues <br />of concern were identified during the 12/2/2005 tecluiical specialists meeting: <br />Water Quality <br />runoff associated with current and past land use <br />State-identified impaired waters <br />groundwater quality impacts from individual septic systems <br />point and non-point sources <br />Source Water Assessment and Protection Program <br />reduced dilution effects from significant diverted flows <br />climate systems <br />Water Quantity <br />water supply thresholds (surface and groundwater) <br />transbasin diversions (amount and timing) <br />water conservation and re-use <br />water uses <br />48 <br />