GoreCanyonWater Supply Reserve Account Application Form

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• r •CA "R °O 4 t4, _,'..,... 0 - TROUT °`� . os. UNLIMITED 1 September 7,2012 Dear CWCB Directors: We write on behalf of Trout Unlimited to express our support for the funding of Grand County's proposed Gore Canyon Whitewater Park at Pumphouse-Colorado River(July 2012). Trout Unlimited is a non-profit organization with over 145,000 members nation-wide and nearly 10,000 members in Colorado. Most of our membership is comprised of avid anglers and hunters. Our mission is to conserve,protect,and restore coldwater fisheries and their watersheds. We are a founding member of the Upper Colorado River Wild and Scenic Stakeholder Group and a member of the Learning by Doing Committee established under the Colorado River Cooperative Agreement. We support the proposed water park for a number of reasons. First,the reach of the Colorado River where the park is to be located is an outstanding recreational resource which helps fuel Grand County's recreation-based economy. Second,the proposed whitewater park would enable Grand County to protect recreational flows through the reach in a manner consistent with Colorado water law,while also indirectly benefiting other values identified in the area including outstanding riparian and recreational fishing values. Third,the presence of RICDs for this reach of the river could facilitate delivery of environmental flows to be released pursuant to the Colorado River Cooperative Agreement and similar agreements currently being negotiated for the benefit of upstream reaches of the river. Finally,Trout Unlimited believes the proposed park can be built and operated in a manner that is not harmful to the trout fisheries. The bulk of Water Supply Reserve Account funds have gone to consumptive projects and studies, and in the spirit of the Colorado Water for the 21°Century Act,we believe it is important for this program to also address Colorado's nonconsumptive needs. Grand County's whitewater park is an appropriate opportunity to provide some of that balance. In short,Trout Unlimited believes the proposed whitewater park and associated RICDs will assist in meeting Colorado River goals established through cooperative,consensus based efforts and that the project is an appropriate use of Water Supply Reserve Account funds. We urge CWCB to approve funding for this project to benefit our state's namesake river and Colorado's recreational economy. Sincerely, Jti jija........_. ii,„,„„,mirax . David Nickum Mely Whiting Executive Director Counsel Colorado Trout Unlimited Trout Unlimited-Colorado Water Project t 1 0 Trout Unlimited:America's Leading Coldwater Fisheries Conservation Organization Denver Office:1536 Wynkoop Street,Suite 100,Denver,CO 80202 PHONE:(303)440-2937 FAX:(303)440-7933 WEB:www.coloradotu.org