Rule 26(A)(2) Disclosure of the CWCB and the State and Division Engineers

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A generally accepted process for conducting a flow assessment for recreation includes the following steps: Define study objectives Describe the resource Define opportunities and attributes; identify flow- dependent attributes Describe hydrology Describe flow- condition relationships for each opportunity Evaluate flow needs for each opportunity Integrate flow needs for various opportunities Develop strategies to protect flows; recognize legal framework and decision - environment Key elements common to many successful studies: Flow evaluation curves for each opportunity Threshold flows that define acceptable and optimal ranges for each opportunity Summary of the frequency of opportunities with - existing hydrologic regime Summary of projected frequencies of opportunities for alternative regimes Discussion of request structures that meet flow needs in efficient ways Integration with legal and decision environment II. Review and Evaluation of Golden's Expert Reports This section reviews Golden's expert reports and evaluates whether they have met the standards . outlined for g enerally accepted studies described in the previous section. In general, we focus on the Lacy report, with a few references to some information provided in the Hagenstad et al. (2000) economic benefits report. Key points are: The Lacy report presents no defined assessment process, nor does it reference previous studies or protocols. . Lacy implicitly recognizes recreation opportunities distinguished by skill levels and type of boating (e.g., playboating and slalom racing), but offers no explicit definitions of the opportunities to be provided. Lacy uses the term "world class whitewater opportunities" throughout his report, but offers imprecise, unsystematic definitions that are more implicit than explicit. Based on statements in his report, Lacy appears to equate the "world class" descriptor with three potential criteria: 1) the ability to attract nationally - recognized slalom or playboating competitions; 2) the ability of attract boaters from a widespread geographical area (alternative sections list the front range, the Denver area, out -of -state paddlers, and paddlers from around the country); 3) the ability to attract boaters with different skill levels (beginners and novices vs_. experts) and interests (playboating and slalom racing). An alternative to this imprecise descriptor is to describe and label specific opportunities, each of which can be evaluated for its quality relative to similar opportunities on a local, regional, statewide, national, or international scale. The Lacy report lacks specificity about whitewater features and how flow levels affect conditions at each (what happens to features at different flows ?). Lacy provides no list of specific recreation opportunities, and he does not develop flow evaluation curves or ranges of acceptable or optimal flows for any specific opportunities, although he notes that "higher flows." between 500 and 1,200 cfs attract the greatest number of paddlers, which contrasts with the "beginners and novices" that use the "lower flows ... to practice their skills on moving water." Clear Creek Whitewater Park flow assessment / January 2001