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Water Development and Use Colorado is a semi-arid state. Water is stored in reservoirs and diverted from rivers to support irrigated agriculture and to provide water for urban populations. Colorado's Instream Flow Program In 1973, the General Assembly authorized the Colorado Water Conservation Board (CWCB) to appropriate unappropriated water in Colorado streams and lakes to "preserve the natural environment to a reasonable degree." Instream flow water rights protect a specified level of flow between two described points on a stream or a specified elevation level in a pond or lake from being reduced by subsequent appropriators. Appropriations are based on an analysis demonstrating the need for this amount of water to preserve some existing aspect of the natural environment such as maintenance of a cold-water fishery. The CWCB now holds Instream flow water rights on more than 8,000 miles of streams and on 486 natural lakes in Colorado. Paonia Dam Spillway How Water Development Impacts Stream Corridors • Alters timing and amount of stream flows • Decreases aquatic and riparian habitat • Affects stream's ability to carry sediment • Reduced flows can increase concentration of contaminants in water • Alters water temperature • In-channel structures block fish migration Lessening Our Negative Impact • Use diverted water more efficiently (remember we live in a dry state) • Where possible, manage dam releases to mimic natural hydrograph • Retrofit existing facilities to allow fish passage, --- releases of ambient temperature water, and movement of sediment • Protect remaining instream flows • Purchase out-of-stream water rights for use in-stream 29