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? During the three summer holiday weekends when the Silverthorne RICD has requested a <br />600 cfs in-channel diversion right, Silverthorne will cooperate fully with Denver Water to <br />plan any release. <br />Denver indicates that there is no unappropriated water available to a 2004 direct flow <br />water right below Dillon Dam unless: "(1) flows exceed 1,726 cfs; (2) Green Mountain <br />Reservoir has filled; (3) Dillon Reservoir is spilling and all other upstream and <br />downstream senior rights are satisfied." The following is presented in response to these <br />stated concerns: <br />• The Silverthorne RICD application is not for a direct flow; rather it is for a non- <br />consumptive recreational in-channel diversion water right which is comparable to <br />a fully augmented junior water right as discussed in Section 2.4. The Silverthorne <br />RICD can utilize all flows physically available to this water right. <br />• No basis for the 1,726 cfs could be found in Denver Water's pre-hearing <br />statement. It is not clear whether this 1,726 cfs requirement applies throughout <br />the year or only applies to a specific period during the year. Additional <br />information concerning this claimed requirement will be necessary before a <br />response can be developed. <br />? • The Silverthorne RICD water right will be subordinate to all Green Mountain <br />Reservoir and Dillon Reservoir decrees and for exchanges involving those <br />reservoirs that are senior to the 2004 Silverthorne RICD. <br />• The Silverthorne RICD water right will be subordinate to all downstream senior <br />water rights and to senior decreed exchanges. <br />As shown in Exhibit R and discussed in Section 2.2, the 600 cfs requested flow is <br />frequently available during the Memorial Day and July 4th weekends. Silverthorne <br />intends to continue to cooperate closely with Denver Water, as it did in September 2004, <br />to accumulate required releases by Denver in Dillon Reservoir and make these releases <br />during the Labor Day weekend in order to increase the frequency of 600 cfs flows during <br />that weekend. Furthermore, such releases will be done in coordination and cooperation <br />with Denver Water to minimize the need for frequent gate changes at Dillon Reservoir. <br />3.3 COLORADO RIVER WATER CONSERVATION DISTRICT <br />The Silverthorne RICD will not affect any of the Colorado River Water Conservation <br />District's water rights with priorities senior to the December 31, 2004 priority of the <br />Silverthorne RICD. The River District expressed concerns about the effects of the <br />Silverthorne RICD on many of the same projects that were of concern to Summit County <br />(e.g., Old Dillon Reservoir, Blue River Pumpback, and Upper Blue River Reservoir <br />le MOA); therefore, see Section 3.1 for a discussion of these projects. <br />7