Outline for Press Briefings: Yampa River and Endangered Fish Recovery Flow Protection by CWCB

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4. CWCB Instream Flow Appropriation Status & Schedule The basic calculation which was considered before entering into the Recovery Program was that approximately 10.797 million acre -feet of Colorado River water originates within the state of Colorado, while the amount apportioned for our consumptive use is approximately 3.079 million acre -feet. This leaves approximately 7 to 8 million acre -feet of water which Colorado can protect for (non - consumptive) instream purposes to preserve the natural environment in Colorado before those waters must flow across our stateliness for use downstream in other states. Biological Flow Protection Recommendations. Biologists at the Fish and Wildlife Service and the Colorado Division of Wildlife indicate that two aspects of the Yampa River's flow regime need to be protected: a "peak flow" during the spring runoff months (April - July) to maintain a variety of essential biological functions (e.g., spawning, inundation of adjacent bottomlands), and a "base flow" adequate to keep the fish alive through the rest of the year (i.e., to keep the fish and the rest of the river from drying up and dying). Overview of the CWCB Staff Recommendation. The CWCB staff has recommended that the CWCB apply for two water rights, one to protect the base flow and the other to protect the peak flow. The base flow water right would protect habitat for the endangered fish against dry up by any junior water right or any change of existing water rights. But it would only include a small volume of water. The peak flow water right would protect a much larger volume of water, as recommended by the biologists, but it would be limited by an administrative trigger. The administrative trigger would be calculated and applied in a manner which will a) allow development of new water supplies to continue (up to at least 52,000 acre -feet of additional consumptive use b) guide junior water rights development into months when there is sufficient water for both new human uses and for the endangered fish recovery, and c) protect habitat during periods of extended drought. Schedule for Flow Protection Decisions. The CWCB has been working for several years on the development of instream flow protection measures for the Yampa River in consultation with representatives of the Upper Yampa Water Conservancy District, the Colorado River Water Conservation District, the cities of Craig and Steamboat Springs, and many other water interests associated with the Yampa River. At its October 10 meeting in Craig, the CWCB will consider the recommendation presented by its staff, comments from the public and from other Recovery Program participants, and decide how it wants to proceed with the proposed water rights. It will also discuss progress in developing the "operation and management plan" which has also been under consideration for several years. This proposal recognizes that a junior water right, by itself, will not meet all the needs of the endangered fish recovery effort or address related socioeconomic concerns. The CWCB has made commitments to the Recovery Program to file its water rights applications in water court by December 1995, and the CWCB presently is scheduled to conclude its administrative process on December 1, 1995 (before initiating the water court application process later that month).