Silverthorne Floats Kayak Park, Troubles Denver Water

Home Browse Search

i Silverthorne floats kayak park, troubles Denver Water By Steve Lipsher Denver Post Staff Writer Frisco — A proposal build a kayak park just below the Dillon Reservoir was met 'Wednesday with concern over the prospect that it could affect Denver's fu -. ture water supply. In seeking a new water right, Silverthome's proposal would ensure minimum stream flows through the Blue River on sum - mer days and peak flows on holi- day weekends, but it would kick in only when is enough wa- ter to make boating worthwhile. Using water rights for white- water parks has become an in- creasingly contentious issue in the state, Silverthorne water it- torney David Robbins told the Colorado Water Conservation Board, meeting in Frisco. "Whether we agree philosophi- cally ... or if we don't agree with them, they are a- matter of fact and a matter of life,' he said. Representatives of the Denver " Water Board, however, suggest- ed that the water rights -being sought could interfere with the city's operation of its water -sup- ply system, even though Silver - thome's claim would be consld- eyed a "junior water right. Under Colorado law, watnr rights are property that can lie sold and traded, and they are based on seniority: Holders ''of j the oldest water rights trump all other user's upstream and are en- ' titled to their share first. In 2001, the state legislature de- termined that municipalities could seek water rights for whitewater parks, which haue sprung up or been proposed more than a doyen Colorado communities. But the efforts have continual-. ly met with resistance from tradi- tional water users, for whom it is nearly antithetical to allow pre - cious water to flo y� away fpr recreation. Water in the Dillon Reservoir, which serves Denver's 1 million municipal users,- is drawn through the Roberts Tunnel into the South Platte drainage; one of numerous "trans- mountain di- versions" that pipe mountain wa- ter to the Front Range. , Denver's spider web of pipes and. complex agreements with other users means that watevin its other mountain storage facili- ties is sometimes tapped for downstream users to substitute for the amount the city draws from Dillon. As a result, the Denver Water Board is concerned that the Sil- verthorne proposal could hinder the city's ability to use.its full al- lotment of water without infring- ing on its obligations to down- stream users.' Silverthorne officials, though, point out that the water right Wouldn't displace any senior rights and that Denver. is trying to stake a claim for future wa- ter -use possibilities that don't ex- ist in law. The utility and Silverthorne are trying to . hammer out an agreement. In the meantime, the Water Conservation Board must make a recommendation to the state water court about whether to allow the whitewater park, • , The town of Silverthorne,-&I- though a- -small community, is just as entitigd to obtain a water right as anps large community said Robbins, taking careful aim at Denver.