Finance Committee Meeting 2007

• Board Meeting Date: 9/18/2007
• Description: Finance Sub-Committee Meeting September 18, 2007
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Meeting

• Saint Vrain Creek Corridor Committee
Low Flow Enhancement Program
Saint Vrain Creek has one of the best natural aquatic environments along the Front Range and
supports one of the states best populations of native minnow species including the common
shiner, brassy minnow, stone cat and Iowa darter. These species are characterized as state
threatened or state species of concern. The Saint Vrain Creek Corridor Committee is comprised
of local governmental agencies, conservation organizations, and private citizens working
cooperatively to preserve and protect the Saint Vrain Creek Corridor. The primary focus of this
group is to protect the aquatic habitat of the Saint Vrain Creek by protecting streamflow levels
during critical periods. As part of this effort, the corridor committee leases water rights and
coordinates other water management strategies. The Committee will comply with all state water
law and hopes to reconcile both consumptive and nonconsumptive needs through infrastructure
and management strategies.
In this instance the committee proposes releasing water from storage reservoirs above the target
stream reach during winter months, for ultimate delivery to Union Reservoir and later use.
Earlier efforts resulted in satisfactory stream flows from Ralph Price Reservoir(Button Rock
Dam) down to the calling ditches near the Town of Lyons. At that point it was not possible to
continue the program as insufficient bypass facilities and measurement capabilities prevented
delivery of the water beyond outdated diversion structures.
• • The Saint Vrain Creek Corridor Committee will deliver water past these structures by installing
FlumeGates, manufactured by Rubicon Systems. These gates allow for both lower flow bypass
control as well as accurate measurement of those flows. Installing the gates will eliminate the
primary obstacle to adequate streamflows lower on the Saint Vrain Creek. In other words, water
that had previously been diverted from the creek below the Town of Lyons will be measurable
and allowed to flow down the Saint Vrain Creek. Once carried through the corridor, this water
will be either diverted by the recently installed Saint Vrain Creek Pump Station#1 or continue
on lower reaches of the corridor for subsequent beneficial uses or to the South Platte River to
meet delivery obligations. The pump station was constructed and is operated by the City of
Longmont.
Currently,the Committee is planning to install a FlumeGate at the Oligarchy Ditch head gate in
Winter 2008. This will provide the opportunity to move winter flows into an important reach of
the creek. Water that would otherwise be diverted at the Oligarchy Headgate, designated for
delivery to Union Reservoir,will be allowed to continue to flow down the creek and later
diverted at the pump station for delivery to Union Reservoir. While this will help move flows to
an important reach of the creek, it is ultimately necessary to install two additional FlumeGates
higher in the creek(at the Highland and Rough and Ready/Palmerton head gates)to ensure that
flows reach this section and that they move through the entire critical length of the creek.
The costs to install two FlumeGates at the Highland and Rough and Ready/Palmerton head gates
that are included in this grant include design costs, the costs of the FlumeGates, construction
costs to install the units,cost of SCADA equipment, construction costs to install the SCADA
. units and legal costs for agreements with local ditch companies.