14d ‎(2)‎

• Board Meeting Date: 7/22/2008
• Description: Directors' Reports - CWCB Director
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Memo

High Country Citizens' Alliance
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Linda Bassi, Jeff Baessler
Stream and Lake Protection Section
Colorado Water Conservation Board
1525 Sherman St., 5th Floor
Denver CO 80203
Dear Linda, Jeff and the CWCB,
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On 7/ 8, after a lengthy discussion, the Board of Directors of High Country Citizens'
Alliance (HCCA) decided to withdraw our request f or instream flow protection f or the
mainstem of the Gunnison River from Almont to the Curecanti National Recreation Area. We
made that request at the annual workshop in February and the CWCB staff had scheduled
field studies this summer to quantif y flows and review water availability issues. At this time,
we don't think the expenditures to move the recommendation f orward are warranted.
In the past several weeks there have been public discussions about the benefits and
drawbacks of having an instream f low water right for the Gunnison. Several water users and
the UGRWCD staff have expressed concern about how it will be more difficult to get new well
permits approved without new augmentation supplies and how some f lexibility would be lost
managing limited water supplies during periods of prolonged draught.
It became apparent that if we continued to pursue additional legal protection for this
segment of the river it would attract significant opposition. There are several mechanisms
already in place that offer partial protection of streamflows. The 1975 Taylor Reservoir
Operating Agreement provide for releases that offer this segment some protection. The RICD
is a more substantial right but is only aday-time right and only seasonal.
HCCA has been involved in several collaborative processes over the last two decades
with water users in the basin that have been quite productive in protecting both the
environment and the water users interests. Some examples of this cooperation include a joint
defense against the Union Park Project and the recent settlement agreement for water rights for
the Black Canyon National Park.
There are significant additional challenges that we hope to work collaboratively on with
the water users, specifically, the Aspinall Reoperation EIS. It does not make sense to be
involved in a dispute over the instream f low f fling when we need to be focused on getting a
preferred alternative f or flow recommendations to recover endangered f ish in the Lower
Gunnison River that will be f avorably received by the US Fish and Wildlife Service.
P.O. BOX 459, CRESTED BUTTE, CO 81224
970 349-6646, 970 349-0164 (~, a-mail: [e-mail]