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<br /> Respect for the land translates into protection
<br /> of natural environment for Carol Ellinghouse
<br /> arol Ellinghouse has been managing the 1993,adjudicating the donated rights for
<br /> City of Boulder's water rights portfolio instream flow use as well as for irrigation and ,' ,
<br /> and raw water supply system for 11 municipal use."First decree of its kind,"says .. ,
<br /> years.As Boulder's Water Resources Coordi- Ellinghouse.The CWCB designated Boulder IA
<br /> •.
<br /> nator,Ellinghouse is responsible for opera- as its agent to monitor and administer the i'l.s'
<br /> ,- 'o ,, -`,
<br /> tion and maintenance of the City's raw water Boulder Creek instream flows—a task that �;': �'F °)
<br /> supply system that includes 10 dams,25 Ellinghouse directly supervises. : x ,et,
<br /> miles of pipeline through high mountain ter- With technical assistance from Lee Rozaklis
<br /> rain,and 7 hydropower plants.Ellinghouse of Hydrosphere,operational assistance from
<br /> also manages eight square miles of wilderness Joanna(Tisdale)Stansbury(whom Ellingj
<br /> watershed area that Boulder owns just east of house hired away from the CWCB),and much
<br /> the continental divide.Last but not least, cooperation from Water Commissioner Bob
<br /> Ellinghouse is in charge of maintaining "� ``
<br /> Carlson,Ellinghouse had to make a number
<br /> instream flow water rights on Boulder Creek of adjustments in order to properly adminis-
<br /> and tributaries. ter the instream flows."It had never been Colorado Division of Water Resources."
<br /> Ellinghouse has put a lot of effort toward the done before,"notes Ellinghouse.But their Ellinghouse appreciates the Boulder city
<br /> rehabilitation of Boulder's aging water supply effort was fruitful.Boulder has now estab council for supporting the instream flow pro
<br /> facilities.She has high regard for her prede- fished instream flows that are rarely called gram.She emphasizes that her primary
<br /> cessors and the Boulder citizens,who devel- out and the water is ushered down the creek responsibility is to protect and deliver Boul
<br /> oped,as she put it,"a fantastic water past various diversion structures."The der s municipal water supply,"but also to
<br /> system—with good facilities and structures, process proved that instream flow water look for opportunities to do other things with
<br /> and a century of protection of the water qual- rights are fully compatible with Colorado's the same water."
<br /> ity in its watershed."Ellinghouse believes that way of administering water,demonstrating Recently,the City of Boulder successfully
<br /> city council's support for providing a reliable that streams can be kept wet without completed negotiations with Denver Water to
<br /> water supply while maintaining the Boulder adversely impacting water use or water devel- acquire use of storage space in Gross Reser-
<br /> Creek instream flows has provided a healthy opment,"asserts Ellinghouse. voir at times the space was not needed for
<br /> balance between municipal supply and other Unlike many that look at use of instream flow Denver Water's municipal supplies.The City
<br /> public interests. of Boulder and Denver Water have now
<br /> rights or bypass flows as a means of restoring entered into an agreement whereby Boulder
<br /> Maintaining the instream flows has been an a river system to its natural pre-settlement can annually store up to 2,500 acre-feet of
<br /> interesting challenge for Ellinghouse.Over condition,Ellinghouse views instream flows water in Gross Reservoir.The stored water
<br /> the past decade,Boulder has donated valu- as an added use within the existing water will be donated to the CWCB to supplement
<br /> able senior water rights to the CWCB to sup- rights system."In order to make the instream the South Boulder Creek instream flow water
<br /> It plement other CWCB instream flow water flow rights work,I've found it helps to view rights."It is not unreasonable to speculate the
<br /> rights on Boulder Creek and North Boulder them as fitting into an already heavily man South Boulder Creek donation will be font
<br /> Creek.As a result,the lower reach of Boulder aged and developed stream system and work tional in five years,"asserts Ellinghouse.
<br /> Creek that would previously dry up by July to make them fully compatible and integrated
<br /> now has water running through it year- with other water rights.And it takes a lot Ellinghouse's interest in the protection of
<br /> round.Ellinghouse gives credit to Lee Rozak- more than just donating the water rights to land and water began early as a result of
<br /> lis and David Harrison who motivated the maintain a wet stream."She adds,"The trade- growing up in an environment influenced by
<br /> city council to support the protection of off for Boulder in donating its senior water the Sioux Indians'tradition of"respect for the
<br /> instream flows on Boulder Creek."My rights is having a beautiful stream running land"in the Black Hills of South Dakota.Wit-
<br /> responsibility was to make the plan func- through the town for the enjoyment of its citi- nessing a major flood in Rapid City in 1972
<br /> tion,"says Ellinghouse. zens."And she points at the people outside of left a strong impression on her about the
<br /> To implement the Boulder Creek instream her office window leisurely walking along power of water that perhaps inspired her to
<br /> flow plan,Ellinghouse worked closely with Boulder Creek.The donation of water for pursue her education in a water-related field.
<br /> the CWCB staff Dan Merriman and Anne Jan- instream flows also smoothed the progress of Ellinghouse has a Bachelors degree and a
<br /> icki,and with Boulder's legal counsel Ronni Boulder's negotiation with the US Forest Masters degree in civil engineering with an
<br /> Sperling and consultant Lee Rozaklis.The Service concerning permitting and bypass emphasis in water resources,both from the
<br /> combined effort resulted in a monumental flow requirements for Boulder's pipeline facil- University of Colorado in Boulder.She has
<br /> Ilk
<br /> donation agreement between Boulder and the
<br /> CWCB,where Boulder donated water rights,
<br /> ities on federal land.The USFS accepted Boul- lived in Colorado since 1973.Before joining
<br /> der's joint efforts with the CWCB on instream Boulder,she worked for the City of Thornton
<br /> valued at over$12 million.The process did flows in Boulder Creek as meeting all USFS and for a consulting firm in Fort Collins.She
<br /> not end here.Shortly after,Boulder and the requirements. lives on a small acreage in unincorporated
<br /> CWCB filed a joint application in the water Ellinghouse believes that the transfer of water Adams County with her 14 year old son,Ben,
<br /> court to change Boulder's donated water rights to instream flow use and implementa-
<br /> tion and 12 year old daughter Cayla.In addition
<br /> rights to instream flow use.Several local of the decree are the necessary compo- to keeping up with the homestead,Elling-
<br /> water users and downstream municipalities nents of a successful donation."But above all, house enjoys reading,hiking,skiing,and
<br /> opposed the application,which ended up in a it requires close cooperation with many enti spending quality time with her children.•
<br /> lengthy trial.The court issued a decree in ties,including the staffs at the CWCB and the
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