Arkansas River Division 2 Design Report

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Design Report for Canon City Whitewater Kayak and Recreation Park in the Arkansas River • at Canon City to the Pueblo reservoir. If more water is available the CDNR may write a letter requesting for more water. The State Parks may purchase this additional water, or if the 10,000 acre-ft is not available,water is purchased to supplement the flow program (personal communication John Nahomenuk, BLM River Manager,Arkansas Headwaters Recreation Area, June, 2008). The State Parks collect 0.25%tax from park users to purchase available water. The only period that the 700cfs was not available was in the drought year of 2002, the State Parks was unable to purchase available water and water providers were not able to voluntarily meet the flow management program. The Chaffee County Recreational In-channel Diversion was appropriated December 31, 2004 (Chaffee County final Decree, District Court, Water Division no2, CO, case #04CW 129, Oct. 26, 2006). The recreation structures are located in Salida and Buena e fi Vista, Colorado and the RICD flows are measured at the Wellsville gage below the City of Salida. Table 1, shown above in section I, design flow amounts and periods are 0 ePI (0O equivalent to the final decree for the Chaffee County RICD. The Chaffee County RICD flows are similar to the Upper Arkansas Voluntary Flow Management Program with the l Z'"° exception of adjustable flow rates during the High Flow Period. The High Flow Period is 4(0 in May and June. For the months of May and June the appropriated RICD flows support intermediate to advanced recreational experiences, and provides the opportunity to host events that will attract world class kayakers. The decree for the period of the Friday before the last Monday in May to June 30th is for 1400cfs to persist for 30days, and 1800cfs to persist for 8 days. The 1400cfs must persist for 30 consecutive days, and the 1800cfs can occur on different days within the 30 day period during the month of June. • Chaffee County is required to request in writing to the State Engineers office by Aril 1St of each year for when the 8 days in June for the 1800cfs water right shall occur, and on, or before May 10th of each year for when the 30 consecutive days of the 1400cfs water right shall occur. Currently the city of Aurora is conducting studies to evaluate reasonable alternatives to provide municipal water with existing water rights. An Environmental Assessment(EC- 1300-06-09)complete in March, 2007, states; "The frequency of flows occurring between optimum low- and high-flow recommendations for boating(1,500 cfs and 2,000 cfs for rafting; and 1,300 and 1,500 cfs for kayaking)would remain similar to existing conditions and what would be expected under the No Action alternative". Proposed actions would not significantly affect recreational boating on the Upper Arkansas River. Figure 2 shows the percent of time average monthly flows occurring at the project reach meet or exceed design flows. Average flows for each month of the year on the Arkansas River at the project reach exceed design flows more than 50%of the time. The design flow of 1400cfs is appropriated for 30 days, which is exceeded 72%of the time in May and 70% of the time in June. The design flow of 1800cfs is appropriated for 8 days, which is exceeded 53%of the time in June. C57--C- '- OIR IVE • ti lu 5of16