Directors Report 14F - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

OTHER WATER RIGHT/ RESOURCE ISSUES DOW Staff is also engaged in the following CDOW water resource and water rigl-ts issues: • Potential changes in operations for Skaguay Reservoir (a reservoir owned and operated by the DOW on the south slope of Pikes Peak) and the downstream Beaver Creek State Wildlife Area. The water resource management issues here involve the retiming of storage, exchange potential, and hydropower generation with a number of local water users including Colorado Spring Utilities, Beaver Park Water Inc., the Penrose Water District, the City of Cripple Creek, the City of Victor and Anglo Gold Corp. • Water purchases and leases for Great Plains Reservoirs (approximately ; 0,000 AF was purchased earlier this year) and the John Martin permanent pool. • Emerging issues relating to the Division's roles and responsibilities in the US Army Corps of Engineers' 404 permitting processes for aquatic habitat improveme;nt projects and other channel improvement projects. • Republican River and Interstate Compact issues that affect storage levels in Bonny Reservoir and the continued operation of the Wray State Fish Hatchery. o DOW Staff are conducting hydrologic monitoring studies on Chief Creek and the N. Fk. Republican River to evaluate alternate water supply options for the Wray Hatchery, which have been experiencing water supply shortages due to declining stream flows in Chief Creek (the main water source for the hatchery). • DOW continues to cooperate with water users in the South Platte Basin to obtain a final water court decree for the Tamarack State Wildlife Area's recharge wells. Tamarack is a key component of Colorado's obligation to the Platte River Recovery Implementation Plan. Monthly accounting, recharge well administration, and groundwater monitoring in cooperation with NCWCD staff are a subset of the activities CDOW regional personnel are involved in at Tamarack. • Ongoing participation in the South Platte Wetland Focus .Area Commit`ee (SPWFAC); a working group of public and private partners organized to facilitate the development of wetland conservation projects. The purpose is to conserve wetlands that provide an array of ecological and societal benefits to the Colorado South Platte basin community. The SPWFAC is the local implementation arm of the CDOW Wetlands Program, the Intermountain West Joint Venture, and the Playa Lakes Joint Venture. • In-depth evaluation of CDOW's current hatchery system infrastructure, including facilities, land, water rights, and sources of fish free from pathogens. The current system is barely adequate to meet our annual stocking requests by the management • The impact of new water storage facilities, particularly if they are going to emphasize a recreational sportfishery as part of their public benefits, need to start considering funding the costs associated with new hatcheries, water supplies and long-term operation and maintenance costs. • Invasive Species concerns -obviously the zebra and quagga mussel invasions are major issues; CDOW is also dealing with a number of other invasive species such as Eurasian Water Milfoil and New Zealand Mud Snails. • The native plains fish species and west slope native species are quite resilient and have adapted to some fairly drastic changes in their habitat. State agencies and water users need to continue to work cooperatively and collaboratively to prevent future listings, under the Endangered Species Act. • CDOW experts continue to work on a complicated sett of issues and challenges related to energy development and the potential impacts on riparian and aquiatic habitat and water quality.