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Recreational In- Channel Diversions Cynthia F. Covell, Es q. <br />What Next? <br />A new bill, Senate Bill 02 -156, has recently been introduced to authorize changes of absolute water <br />rights to instream uses pursuant to a plan for instream use. The bill proposes to allow owners of absolute water . <br />rights to propose a detailed plan to change an absolute right to provide flows between specific points in natural <br />streams or levels of lakes in order to sustain or enhance uses for recreation, fish and wildlife, scenic beauty, or <br />ecological purposes. The CWCB and state engineer may review and comment on the application, the plan must <br />be shown not to impair the state's ability to develop fully and put to consumptive beneficial use its compact <br />entitlements, and the plan must provide a reasonable means for administration without significant additional cost <br />to the state. Clearly, in- channel water uses continue to be of interest to many Coloradoans, and should not be <br />viewed as simply an effort by extremists to control growth in the state. The outcome of the Golden appeal, and <br />the processing of new applications under Senate Bill 216 will give further guidance regarding the integration of <br />in- channel water uses with the traditional consumptive uses, a process that poses complicated quantification, <br />measurement, operational and administrative challenges. Colorado must carefully balance the competing <br />interests of consumptive development and the recreational and in- stream values that are also integral to <br />Colorado's economy and lifestyle. <br />