18 ‎(6)‎

• Board Meeting Date: 7/22/2009
• Description: WPFM Section - Fish and Wildlife Resources Fund Grant - Fountain Creek Fish Passage
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Memo

STATE OF COLORADO
Colorado Water Conservation Board
Department of Natural Resources
1313 Sherman Street, Room 721
Deneer, Colorado 30203
Phone: [phone]
Fa~: [phone]
ww~u.cwcb.state.co.us
Bill Ritter, Jr.
TO: Colorado Water Conservation Board Members rT°~'e°1°r
Harris D. Sherman
FROM: Chris Sturm, Stream Restoration Coordinator ~NR Exe~ut~~'e ~~re~tor
watBT'S~18C~ pT'Ot8Ct1011 c~ F'IOOC~ Ml~lba~1011 S8Ct1011 Jennifer L. Gimbel
CWCB Director
~ATE: JUly 10, 2009 Dan Mc_auliffe
CWCB Deput}~ Director
SUBJECT: Agenda Item 18, July 21 - 22, 2009 Board Meeting
Fish and Wildlife Resources Fund Grant Application
Introduction
The Fish and Wildlife Resources Fund (FWRF') was established by the Legislature in 1987. It
was ainended in 2002 to help initigate the iinpacts of existing water facilities. The Clear Springs
Ranch Diversion Dain on Fountain Creek was built 30 years ago. Since then, the warin water
fish species in Fountain Creek have not been able to migrate upstream of the dam. These species
include the Arkansas Darter (state threatened) and the flathead chub (state species of concern).
The Fountain Creek Watershed Management Plan identified the diversion dam as a high priority
for a fish passage project due to an abundance of fish staging below the five foot drop structure.
Discussion
Colorado Springs Utilities (SU) is subinitting an application to the FWRF' to design and engineer
a fish passage structure around a diversion dain owned and operated by the applicant. The
project goals include identifying fish perforinance curves for Arkansas Darter and Flathead Chub
and establishing design criteria for these plains fish species. These tasks have never been
performed. The project is supported by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Colorado
Department of Wildlife, Colorado State University, and the U. S. Geological Society. SU and the
above agencies are committed to designing a successful proj ect that will serve as a demonstration
for future plains fish passage structures. The project stakeholders are also coininitted to building
the fish passage in a subsequent project phase. The project implements CWCB policy by
"Protect(ing) the environinent and the ability to continue to utilize water by protecting and
restoring streains and lakes" (p. 5 CWCB Strategic Plan, Policy linpleinentation).
Staff Recommendation
Staff has reviewed SU's FWRF' application and found it in conformance with Board Policy 15.
Staff recoininends that the Board approve a$70,000 non-reiinbursable expenditure froin the Fish
and Wildlife Resource Fund for the purpose of providing inatching dollars to the Clear Springs
Ranch/Fountain Creek Fish Passage Proj ect. This amount represents 25% of the total Proj ect
cost. The reinaining costs will be provided by SU ($40,000 cash) and the agencies discussed
above (172,000 in-kind services).
R'ater Supplp Protection • R'ateished Protection and Flood lbtitigation • Stream & Lake Protection • R'ater Supplp Planning & Finance
RTater Conseivation & Drought Planning • Intrastate RTater 1bZanagement & Development