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Colorado Water Conservation Board Members <br />Mr. Thomas Browning, P.E., CWCB <br />Review of Lacy Report for Chaffee County Whitewater RICD <br />May 10, 2005 <br />Page 4 of 9 <br />In fact Lacy, page 7, states: <br />"At lower levels fewer paddlers will visit and fewer, if any competitive events will take place. This <br />is particularly true in Buena Vista and Salida, which are surrounded by a number of excellent <br />whitewater rivers. Boater who would otherwise paddle in these courses will be easily lured to <br />more powerful venues if there is insufficient water in the Arkansas River." <br />This statement brings up several questions. Is the design optimal when it can't apparently satisfy <br />competitive needs during lower, more frequent flows? Stream power is largely a function of depth <br />and water /energy level slope, and not solely flow. Aren't there options to provide features and <br />whitewater functions of adequate power without necessarily increasing discharges? What is the <br />sense of competing for boaters that are using nearby whitewater, and luring them away from more <br />powerful venues? What does this objective have to do with a "reasonable recreation experience "? <br />What does this objective have to do with "maximum utilization of waters of the state "? Why not <br />provide satisfactory and reasonable competitive uses with lower flows, particularly when the other <br />venues may have problems? <br />2. No analysis or review of conditions and related specific hydraulic criteria needed by various types <br />of boating and levels of boaters (e.g. recreation, general competition, and high level competition) <br />is provided to establish discharges and conditions when boating is possible, when boating will <br />become enjoyable, and the optimal range. <br />3. Formulation of design alternatives, specific application of the design criteria and criteria options, <br />and preliminary engineering and whitewater design had not been demonstrated. This should <br />include river hydraulic analysis, recognition of impacts such as flood rises and their mitigation or <br />acceptance, and whitewater hydraulics. <br />4. Evaluation of alternatives including flood hydraulic performance, whitewater performance, <br />problems, mitigations and tradeoffs needs to be provided. Objective overall suitability and usage <br />analysis should be provided including consideration of alternatives and identification of reasonable <br />and optimal flows. Justification by saying "more is better" is not adequate, in our view. What are <br />the flows where a minimum river recreation experience is expected to be achieved for various <br />types of boating and skill levels in this and other reaches, and for the proposal and alternatives? <br />Can a commercial rafter navigate this reach at a given flow, but need less or more in adjoining <br />19, <br />12596 WEST BAYAUD AVENUE, SUITE 200, LAKEWOOD, CO 80228 <br />303.458.5550 FAX 303.480.9766 <br />