Upper Colorado River Stakeholder Group Conceptual Plan for a Wild and Secnic Management Alternative June 30 2009

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June 30, 2008 largely shaped the historic hydrograph. The Grand Valley rights accept delivery of HUP supplies, generally from August through October. IV. Pros and Cons Pros • These are established water rights in place to call for water under dry to average hydrologic conditions and that can help maintain ORVs during portions of the year. • Reliance on these existing rights allows for upstream operational flexibility to deliver water to calling rights provided replacements are made upstream of Segment 4. • Grand Valley HUP deliveries take place during drier conditions and therefore benefit the study area reaches when other concepts may not provide physical supply. • Segments 4 through 7 are downstream of Green Mountain and therefore would benefit from HUP releases. Cons • Existing water rights do not provide guaranteed flows under all conditions. • Existing water rights typically provide 1250 cfs at Dotsero, below the confluence with the Eagle River, and this may not be sufficiently protective to maintain all of the ORVs in Segments 4 through 7 above the confluence with Eagle River. • The Shoshone right can be reduced when the plant does not operate and when the "Power Interference Agreement" which allows for reduced deliveries during drought periods is operating. • There may be a lack of permanency since the Shoshone right is a private right. (e.g., the water rights may be sold and no longer call flows through the reach). • Calling rights could potentially be satisfied through means other than flows through he ORV reaches. • Grand Valley rights are not year -round rights. 3. CURRENT PROTECTION PROVIDED BY UPPER COLORADO RIVER ENDANGERED SPECIES RECOVERY PROGRAM I. Basic Concept The Final Programmatic Biological Opinion issued in December of 1999 includes a Recovery Action Plan that identifies several flow enhancements to assist the recovery of fish in the 15 -mile reach above the confluence of the Colorado and Gunnison Rivers. The flow preservation and enhancements /sources that could impact the stream segments identified by BLM as potentially eligible for designation are as follows: • Colorado Water Conservation Board (CWCB) Instream flow (ISF) Decrees i. 581 cfs in the 15 -mile reach during July, August, and September ii. 300 cfs for water accretions occurring in the 15 -mile reach during July, August and September I: