Recreational Instream Flow Workshop Tanscription of Meeting Tape

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is spinning, there's a whole bunch of techniques that paddlers use now. And come and stay at these locations for hours on the same location and then go home ... its not driving doing a shuttle running down five miles, and then getting a car back up. It is staying at a specific spot . So, I have been involved in a number of projects in the last few years specifically one in Steamboat Springs, one in Salida, one on Boulder Creek in Boulder, one on Clear Creek in Golden and one recently in Farmington, New Mexico. We have got one going in Reno, Nevada. Two in North Carolina, there's a pending one in Colorado including on the Gunnsion River in Gunnison. A couple in Grand Junction, one in Pueblo, so it's a real booming activity. Also the sport of white water boating is one of the fastest growing outdoor sports in the country and a lot of people of all ages are getting involved and it is very popular. And I brought in some slides, but if you like I can hand it around, these are some articles have come out, all just in the past year from if you ever go into DIA. The Fly Denver magazine the cover of that has "White Water Paddling in the heart of Denver ". This one surprised my dad, Money Magazine, that had a big cover of boating in downtown Boulder, kayaking and a big color picture of the kayak course. Outdoor Explorer Magazine, a Denver Post article, Fort Collins article. Its pretty, there is a lot of publicity and a lot of interest in this. The other thing I included is just some conceptual plans if you are not familiar with these types of projects what they look like and what these are not engineering drawings but concept plans to show how these are built, and just to quickly go on that as far as what they are, and what they look like, and how they work. They are generally built of, I strongly recommend natural materials, mostly large boulders that are= anchored into place and they are anchored to the bed of the river or stream in the banks and they control the flow or divert the flow at various different angles, and directions, and they can be various shapes. Be it a `;v" or horseshoe shape with a "v" or a horseshoe pointing upstream that creates this white water wave followed by a pool, there's what's off -set deflectors which pinch the floes• and direct the flow to different angles through the stream. And lots of different things than what you might find in nature but are real conducive to paddling. And some of the tricks are just to make it not only safe but enjoyable, to not create a flood impact to the surrounding lands and to improve the instrearn aquatic habitat also for fish and aquatic life. There are few others issues that come up, that probably have nothing to do with the issue here such as the $1/2 million condo owners in Vail who were right next to them who feel we are making the river too loud. Which I started laughing out loud at a public meeting which didn't go over very well. I thought it was joke. Anyhow, one of the goals is to make these waves make white noise which I thought was real soothing, but apparently to them it wasn't. Or just other related issues that a from parking and access all that kind of thing. But, I think as far as flows on these structures, obviously if you don't have water and you don't have the correct amount of water they are worthless, and a, as far as their purpose. And a, I have been asked what is the flow and what is the correct amount of flow and all that. If you think about it and get one of these new kayaks and if you are my sons age and light weight, you sit on it you can probably float in four or five inches of water. And you can actually float a boat. What's that flow, its not much? But in reality, these structures need an adequate amount of floes• to do what they are designed to do. And that is to create these white water features that will stand up water have powerful hydraulics have sharp eddies all types of things that are interesting looking and attractive and really promote the sport. And if you have been to Golden at all, and the Clear Creak course at just about any time of year, but particularly in spring time when the flows are high it's very very popular. Or in Salida, there was new waves just built this spring and you had to almost pick a number at 6 am to get on to that wave and take your turn. So that is kind of a snap shot of what I have been involved and I have worked with the Water Conservation Board staff on some of these issues and have meet with them in the field in Golden and talked about how these projects work and at that I might keep you guys on track. Unless there is anything specific that I didn't cover. Dan Merriman Just one thing Gary, Can you talk about the correct amount of water, or flow necessary, can you just briefly touch on that the quantification of how you determine how much is necessary for these structures. 4