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Revised Supplemental Draft Environmental Assessment-Chapter 3-Affected Environment and Environmental Consequences Water Resources Ute Water Conservancy District Pump Plant Intake Issue: Dam modification or removal could adversely- affect Ute Water's ability to pump water from the Colorado River. Existing Conditions: Ute Water provides water to about 60,000 residents of the Grand Valley. Their primary water supply is transported via a pipeline from the Plateau Creek drainage off the Grand Mesa. Ute Water's pump plant is located approximately 2,000 feet upstream of the dam and is normally used as an emergency backup water supply. Pumping operations require a water surface elevation of about 4,722 feet in the river (Collins, 1999). The dam helps maintain the required water elevation for pumping operations, especially during low flow conditions. Impacts No Action: The No Action alternative would allow Ute Water to operate their pump plant as they have historically. Conventional Fish Ladder: Same impacts as No Action Alternative. Downstream Rock Fish Passage: Predicted similar to the No Action Alternative. Downstream Rock Fish Passage with Whitewater Recreati()n Features: Predicted similar to the No Action Alternative. Dam Removal: As discussed above, the Ute Water pump plant requires a river elevation of at least 4,722 feet. With the dam removed, the river elevation would drop below 4,722 feet whenever the flow is less than 5,500 cfs. Review of historic flow data (average of monthly mean flows from.1933 through 1996) shows Colorado River flows are usually below 5,500 cfs for 9 months each year, from August through April. Water Rights Issue: Owners of existing water rights with decreed points of diversion at the Price-Stubb Diversion Dam have raised issues regarding potential impacts and the future utilization of their water rights under the Dam Removal alternative. 25