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June 30, 2008 <br />b. Plan for Augmentation to Supplement Flows. <br />A plan for augmentation is "a detailed program, which may be either temporary or <br />perpetual in duration, to increase the supply of water_ available for beneficial use in a <br />division or portion thereof by the development of new or alternate means or points of <br />diversion, by a pooling of water resources, by water exchange projects, by providing <br />substitute supplies of water, by the development of new sources of water, or by any other <br />appropriate means." C.R.S. §37 -92- 103(9) (emphasis added). Many of the mechanisms <br />for protection under consideration, including voluntary flow agreements, coordinated <br />reservoir operations, CWCB instream flows, Colorado River District Constant Flows, and <br />RICDs could be enhanced by a plan for augmentation. <br />C. Protection of Bypass Flows /Releases of Water. <br />In the Upper Colorado River and its tributaries, water is "bypassed" or "released" to <br />satisfy conditions of a permit or legislation approving the project. Two examples include <br />Forest Service "bypass" flows of water on the Fraser Basin under the "Amendatory <br />Decision" for the Moffat Project and the "1961 Principles" concerning releases of water <br />from Granby Dam to the Colorado River for the Colorado Big Thompson Project. Under <br />this proposal, the bypass flows and releases of water from reservoirs and other sources of <br />water would be protected either as: 1) increases to or augmentation of CWCB instream <br />flows; 2) augmentation of Colorado River District Constant Flows; and /or 3) <br />augmentation of RICD flows through Gore Canyon. <br />d. Recreational In- Channel Diversions (RICDs). <br />RICDs are in- channel water rights for recreational purposes. They must be held by local <br />government entities, and must be for the minimum stream flow for a reasonable <br />recreation experience. There must be a control structure as a point of diversion. RICDs <br />are a potential mechanism to protect and enhance recreation floatboating ORVs in <br />Segments 4 through 7. RICDs are being considered for Gore Canyon and Glenwood <br />Springs. RICDs would be decreed water rights under Colorado water law, and therefore <br />would provide permanent protection. <br />e. River District Appropriation of Water for Fish Preservation. <br />The Colorado River District's enabling legislation allows the District to file upon and <br />hold water rights to maintain stream flow needed to preserve fish. The River District <br />could apply for some amount of water to protect the fishery that would be sufficient to <br />protect and enhance the ORVs in the designated reaches. The water right could be a <br />combination of storage and /or in stream flows, and may be subject to possible <br />conveyance to the CWCB. Any stored water could be delivered on an agreed upon <br />scheduling and rate. A decreed right could offer long term stream flow protection. <br />Timing and amounts would have to be determined. <br />-23- <br />