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WATER ACTIVITY NAME – Upper Colorado River Endangered Fish Recovery Program— <br />Alternative Analysis (10825 Phase 2 Assessment) <br />GRANT RECIPIENT – Colorado River Water Conservation District <br />FUNDING SOURCE: Statewide Account ($200,000) <br />***The CWCB funds requested will be used to fund a portion of the specific tasks identified in <br />this scope of work and budget. <br />1.0 BACKGROUND <br />The Upper Colorado River Endangered Fish Recovery Program has been developed to aid the recovery of <br />four species of fish that have been listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act. Two of the four <br />species occupy the Colorado River in the "15-Mile Reach," a segment of the river that extends from the <br />confluence of the Gunnison River upstream 15 miles to the Grand Valley Irrigation Company Diversion <br />Dam near Palisade, Colorado. In 1999, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service completed the "Final <br />Programmatic Biological Opinion for Bureau of Reclamation's Operations and Depletions, Other <br />Depletions, and Funding and Implementation of Recovery Program Actions in the Upper Colorado River <br />above the Confluence with the Gunnison River". This document is also referred to as the "15-Mile Reach <br />Programmatic Biological Opinion" or the PBO. <br />1.1 Proiect Need <br />The PBO requires east and west slope water users to annually provide 10,825 acre-feet of water per year <br />(10825Water) to the 15-Mile Reach in the summer and fall months when the stream flow of the Colorado <br />River within the 15-Mile Reach is substantially impacted by upstream water diversions. The commitment to <br />provide 10825 Water is divided equally between East Slope and West Slope water users, with each <br />responsible to supply 5,412.5 acre-feet per year on a permanent basis. Currently, the 10825 Water is <br />provided on an interim basis by Denver Water (from Williams Fork Reservoir) and by the Colorado River <br />Water Conservation District (from Wolford Mountain Reservoir). 'The PBO requires the water users to have <br />in place permanent agreements that identify the source of the 10,825 AF of water for delivery to the 15 mile <br />by December, 2009. <br />1.2 Previous Investigations <br />During the past 10 years, West Slope water users and East Slope water users have independently considered <br />various separate alternatives to supply the 5,412.5 acre feet of water that is required for each group. <br />Numerous structural and non-structural alternatives to supply the 10825 Water have been investigated. <br />Potential 10825 Alternatives that have been studied are located throughout the upper Colorado River <br />watershed, extending from the headwaters of the basin, downstream to sites located immediately upstream <br />of the 15 Mile Reach. These alternatives have been studied by different stakeholder groups, at differing <br />levels of detail. <br />10825 Phase 2 Scope of Work Revised May 25, 2007 per CWCB request Page � <br />