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Durango Herald Online Page 2 of 3 Steve Harris, a Durango water engineer, who will be the moderator of the July 27 workshop, is not optimistic. "I don't see a lot of positives coming from this," said Harris, who said that guaranteeing water for recreation at Smelter Rapid could create a shortage upstream. In years of plentiful water there is no need for a guaranteed flow in the Animas, he said. In years when there is less water, problems could occur, Harris said. Harris said he would expect proponents of in- channel water rights on the Animas to ask for a flow of 500 to 2,000 cubic feet per second for a certain period. The river was carrying 602 cfs on Monday. Steve Bushong, a Boulder attorney who won in- channel water rights for Golden, Breckenridge and Vail, said that filing for in- channel recreational water rights does nothing more than put a city or water district in line for water when available. "It would be a junior right, which wouldn't hurt holders of senior rights upstream or downstream," Bushong said. Chuck Wanner, the water - issues coordinator at the San Juan Citizens Alliance, said planning for the future makes sense. "We need to plan ahead for recreational and environmental purposes in the same way we plan for traditional consumptive uses," Wanner said. Ken Beegles, the state Division of Water Resources engineer in Durango, said any talk of water diversion for recreation at Smelter Rapid is at a preliminary stage. "It's hard to tell what effect a diversion would have on water rights," Beegles said. "There are a number of ways a diversion could be decreed." Cities or water districts acquired the right to earmark water for recreation in 1973, but it wasn't until 1992 that the right was exercised for the first time. Early applicants got generous allowances, but a later law limited them to the minimum amount of water required for a reasonable experience. The amount will vary, according to how the white -water park is designed and how much water can be used without waste or hoarding. Water assigned for recreation isn't purchased and can't be used for other purposes. The amount of water can vary. Take Durango: Recreation water meeting A meeting is scheduled July 27 to explain how recreational interests could acquire a guaranteed flow of water at Smelter Rapid. The meeting is scheduled from 1 p.m. to no later than 5:30 p.m. in Room 140 in Noble Hall at Fort Lewis College. Presentations by four panel members will be followed by a roundtable discussion involving the experts and representatives of special interests. Durango water engineer Steve Harris will moderate the discussions. Presentations will be made by Ted Kowalski, of the Colorado Water Conservation Board; Gary Lacy, a consultant who designs water courses for kayakers; Ken Beegles, division engineer with the state Division of Water Resources in Durango; and Jack Rogers, director of public works for the city of Durango. Durango gets most of its drinking water from the Florida River, turning to the Animas River - only during periods of high demand in the summer. While Durango can tap its right to some 50 http: / /www. durangoherald. com /asp- bin/article_generation. asp ?article_type = earth &article_... 7/15/2004