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Introduction <br />Clear Creek Whitewater Park (also known as the Golden White Water Course) is located in <br />Golden, Colorado. The course involves a series of eight instream channel modifications designed <br />to create various whitewater features which can be used for slalom racing, playboating, and <br />general kayaki -ng skill development. <br />The course was built by the City of Golden, which has applied for an associated water right. A <br />legal description of the structures and their locations is provided in the Findings of Fact in their <br />water rights application (District Court, Water Division 1, State of Colorado, Case No. <br />98CW448). A water rights adjudication has been scheduled to review this application and <br />objections in March 2001. <br />The Colorado Water Conservation Board (CWCB) is an objector to the application and has asked <br />Confluence Research and Consulting (CRC) to independently review the water rights request by <br />Golden, and outline a scientific protocol for determining flow needs for "world class" recreation <br />on the course. CWCB also asked for preliminary estimates of flow needs for "world class" <br />whitewater opportunities on the course, recognizing that the trial schedule may prevent extensive <br />data collection that would provide more precise estimates. <br />Findings from the report may be used by CWCB during the adjudication of the water rights <br />application. Dr. Bo Shelby of CRC will be offered as an expert witness in quantifying instream <br />flows for recreation opportunities. This document serves as his preliminary expert witness report. <br />The opinions in this report are based on review of material provided by CWCB, including their <br />maps and files on the project, materials disclosed by applicant, and descriptions of public <br />comments made by the course designer (Gary Lacy) concerning the project. Additional <br />information collection and analysis by Dr. Shelby and CRC are planned for late January and early <br />February 2001 to verify these opinions, and offer additional opinions about flow needs for high <br />quality recreation on the Golden course. <br />Results from that additional work will be provided in a supplemental expert witness report that <br />will be prepared prior to Dr. Shelby's deposition in February 2001. This document summarizes <br />Dr. Shelby's preliminary opinions and the basis for them; it also provides an outline of planned <br />work that will form the basis for the supplemental expert witness report. <br />Study Goals and Output <br />Study goals included: <br />• Outline a scientific protocol for collecting and organizing information about the effects of <br />flow on boating opportunities. <br />• Review and evaluate information presented by experts for the City of Golden in support of <br />their water rights claims for the course. <br />• Suggest preliminary estimates of flow needs. <br />• Consider alternative water right claims that could provide high quality whitewater boating <br />opportunities while potentially leaving more water for other uses. <br />Specific outputs from the study, which are summarized briefly in this report: <br />• A summary of the generally accepted methodological process for conducting recreation flow <br />needs assessments. <br />Clear Creek Whitewater Park flow assessment / January 2001 <br />