Statement Regarding Tubing Experience of Mr. Thomas R. Sharp

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T ,i` , -i I have seen many other tubers in the last decade exit the River above the A-Hole. I have also seen .'? tubers get excited going over the A-Hole rocks and through the C-Hole, in the same manner as tubers get excited going through fast water or through the upstream kayak course. In my opinion, the existence of the C-Hole and D-Hole is another "thrill" stretch for some tubers, a"fear factor" for some tubers, and "neutral" for some tubers. But no-one gets on a tube above the C-Hole, rides downstream for 5 minutes through the C-Hole and D-Hole, and exits immediately below the D-Hole. Tubing as a recreational experience involves going down a lengthy reach of river, with a variety of stream conditions, over an hour or two period of time, enjoying the scenery, and no single boulder, riffle, pool, or wave makes the experience. During the 1970's, before the kayak course was constructed and before any of the boulders were placed in the river through town including at the A-Hole, tubing was a growing sport and activity through the City, and for 5 years the annual Yampa Valley River Race was held each summer, when numerous people roped tubes together, drank beer, and tubed down the river en masse. Those river:aces ceased only when the local bar that sponsored the race ran into liability insurance concerns. I participated in each of the Yampa Valley River Races in the 1970's. The point is this: The Yampa River was a great tubing experience through the City before gLny boulders or artificial structures were placed there at all. The number of tubers using the Yampa River through Steamboat has steadily grown in size over the past 30 years, without regard to the A-Hole, C-Hole, or D-Hole. In my opinion, the existence of the C-Hole and D-Hole is irrelevant to the overall recreational experience of tubing the Yampa River through Steamboat, and on average, considering the impact on all of the tubers I have seen, has a net neutral effect to the recreational experience. Hence, I do not believe that the City RICD's low flow claim of 130 cfs of water through the C-Hole and D-Hole after July 15 is a diversion which provides a beneficial use for tubing, and cannot be justified on the basis of being a minimum amount necessary for a reasonable inner tubing recreational experience. Overall, the tubing experience would exist the same without those two structures, without whatever "diversion" occurs by tho two structures, and without the 130 cfs water right claim. C26 Date: March 4, 2004 • homas R. Sharp STATE OF COLQRADJ ) ) COUNTY OF ROUTT ) Subscribed and sworn to before me this 4th day of March, 2004 Witness mv hand and official seal. > , ? I i \ , ? zoo? ? ? otary Public 1 t -2-