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

3.3.7. Qualifications of Applicant
Qualification of the project team
The projectteasn includes active participation by CDOW, USGS, USACE, Colorado State
Universitv biologists, and engineers in the case of the USACE. All of the persons involved are
e~perts in fish biology and research or environinental regulatory perinitting. Colorado Springs
Utilities team of highly e~perienced, in-house hvdraulic and structural engineers will be
responsible for anv engineering services required of the project. Included in there portfolio of
e~perience are nuinerous diversion and dain structures as well has hvdraulic analysis and
inodeling that are siinilar ~vith the design and engineering principles required for the fish passage
project. In addition, Colorado Springs Utilities ~vill be contracting ~vith consultants to coordinate
the design process, provide coinputer siinulations and analvsis of fish passage concepts and
complete creek habitat restoration design. Our consultant design teasn includes landscape
architects, engineers and riparian biologists, all of whoin ha~e e~perience with fish ladder
computer modeling and river habitat restoration e~perience. The entire project team of engineers,
biologists, and landscape architects has ~vorked to develop our collaborative approach to
coinplete a successful fish passage design that ~vill be sustainable over tiine.
Summarv of Previous Project Teasn E~perience
The proposed fish passage project is a first of its kind project and does not relate to the design of
the inore coimnon fish ladders that are constructed for gaine fish such as salinon and trout.
Design and engineering e~perience in designing ~vater diversion structures on Fountain Creek and
other locations, kno~vledge of the target fish species, and allo~ving for fine-tune adjustments of
voluine and velocitv of the fish passage will ensure that the project will be successful.
3.3.8. Coordination Plan and Public Involvement
33.8.A Identifi-lead proaect sponsor, partners and methods of cooperation
The lead project sponsor and o~vner of the ~vater diversion dasn is Colorado Springs Utilities.
Assisting and collaborating in research of the target species and design of the fish passage are the
CDOW, USGS, USACE and Colorado State Universitv. These agencies ha~e e~perience with the
Clear Springs Ranch ~vater diversion dasn and the need for a fish passage around the dasn. All of
the project partners have received authorization from their respective agencies to be activelv
involved in the research of the target species and design of the fish passage as ~vell as inonitoring
and adjustinents after construction. The sponsor and partners ~vill ineet on a regular basis to
revie~v progress to date and provide technical critique to iinprove the fish passage design. Support
letters from the project partners are provided in the Appendi~.
33.3.B. Describe Local Su~port forthe Project
Local support for iinproving the aquatic and terrestrial health for Fountain Creek has been verv
positive. This project gre~v froin t~vo on-going efforts on Fountain Creek that haue an e~tensive
public involveinent process including the Fountain Creek Vision Task Force and the Fountain
Creek Master Plan. These planning efforts haue resulted in providing a direction to municipalities
and agencies to initiate projects to iinprove the health of Fountain Creek.
33.3.C. Describe the process for ensurin~ public involveinent in the project and kno~vn su~port
or o~position.
As part of the Fountain Creek Master Plan process, public input ineetings ~vill continue to occur
as the plan progresses. All of the projects, such as the Clear Springs Ranch - Fountain Creek Fish
Passage project ~vill be presented at future public forums and input ~vill be encouraged. To date,
all of our feedback on the fish passage projects has been vet-v positive. No kno~vn opposition to
the project has been brought to our attention, nor are thev e~pected.