Centennial Wetlands Native Aquatice Species Prospective Recovery Satellite Facility

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February 17, 1995 L.. Dear Tim: Here is a brief summary of some of the main reasons why it makes sense to purchase the key - 2;299 acre pond portion of Centennial Wetlands - 3 soon as possible: / -76b One of the very last things the South Platte needs is a squawfish type listing and recovery program like the Colorado River has now. Already the plains topminnow which inhabits the Platte drainage is on the Candidate for Listing list published by the USFWS with a #2 rating (one number away from begin next to threatened). DOW field teams are conducting inventories. It is getting a little scary. Plains topminnows have been raised successfully for years in several private ponds for bait fish. If DOW buys Centennial, it is likely that several ponds could be drained to remove carp and turtles and then used to grow literally millions of plains topminnows for milk can cowboy stocking along the river in sloughs and ponds. An easy way to -save the whole watershed from a lot of grief. And some legislator might like this project as a good way to use Wildlife Cash funds to benefit the agricultural community. �• ,ti. Mftrs Mi•I i Paul Hartman and Harvey Wittemier are in basic agreement that if DOW buys the 2,200 acre portion of the proposed federal refuge and if a local land trust entity will be established to accept voluntary donations of conservation easements in the surrounding neighborhood (DOW and Colorado Open Lands right now can hold any of these easements until the local land trust is qualified in 2 years or less), then FWS will agree to stop acquisition efforts, to remove the boundary lines around the 15,000 acre project boundary (which is seen by some as "de facto zoning") and to terminate the Task Force. This would remove the federal land acquisition threat. This property is truly a unique and superlative property for a wide variety of wildlife and a wide variety of people uses year round only a 1 to 1 'h hour drive from 80% of the states population. It is a showcase property for wildlife owners, photographers, kids tours, waterfowl hunting, and fishing. It is the feds first choice for a new refuge in Colorado and maybe the eight state region. One can fly over the whole northeast quarter of the state in a small top wing plane and see it themselves as proof of this superlative ranking. Free river water during the winter and spring has been put into underground storage through these recharge ponds since April 1986 and now is returning to the river channel at the rate of about 450 acre feet per year and increasing each year. It can be used to augment new wells, new ponds or new warm water sloughs. DOW has 13 main State Wildlife Areas along the river downstream from Centennial which contains about 70 miles of shoreline (counting 2 miles for 1 mile both sides). This 450 AF of recharge credit could make up the evaporative loss of 150 acres of new ponds or170 miles of 10 feet wide warm water sloughs (subject to shrinkage and a dry river). In one deal DOW could finally obtain water rights to dramatically improve many of their present properties and provide new sources of gravel to the several counties. A huge benefit to wildlife, recreationalists and the counties.