River Protection Workgroup Process

Home Browse Search

DRAFT 01/24/07 RIVER PROTECTION WORKGROUP PROCESS Background: The San Juan Public Lands ("SJPL") organized a Governmental Water Roundtable ("Roundtable")to seek to reach a common understanding concerning water related issues for the revised U.S. Forest Service/Bureau of Land Management Management Plan("Plan"). The Roundtable included representatives from area counties and cities; the Southwestern Water Conservation District; Colorado government, including the Divisions of Wildlife and Water Resources and the Colorado Water Conservation Board; and local Indian tribes. The monthly meetings of the Roundtable were open to the public. Representatives of local environmental groups and from the offices of Colorado's area Congressmen and Senators and state legislators attended and participated actively. Among the areas reviewed by the Roundtable was the SJPL process for carrying out its mandate to review all streams within the SJPL for eligibility for Wild and Scenic River("WSR")designation. The SJPL chose to go forward with a WSR suitability analysis in the EIS for the Plan. Because of the difficulties of obtaining Congressional enactment of a WSR designation, a number of Roundtable participants [list] ("Original Group") agreed to meet outside the Roundtable process to select certain streams, define their stream values needing protection,which may be in addition to WSR ORVs and agree upon, if possible, a plan for long-term, reliable protections for these river values,while allowing needed water uses and development to continue without any significant obstacles. �1 0`.2 W Goal: For the following stre or segments thereof- San Juan River, East and West Forks; Upper Animas River; Hermosa Creek; ortions f Piedra River; and, Upper Vallecito Creek-the River Protection Group will seek to define measures through federal legislation, state protection measures or otherwise to protect the values of these streams. Group Composition: An"Original Group"of identified stakeholders and other stakeholders identified by the Original Group,will meet to develop a joint understanding of the river values,water needs and possible protection mechanisms. All group meetings will be open to the public. Therefore, additional stakeholders will self-select through their continued participation in the group process. Initial Listing of Group Data Needs: Accumulate data for each stream under review in the following areas and determine additional data needs: 1. Water quality 2. Fish&wildlife occurrence and survival/enhancement needs a. Stream carrying capacity