PUB00105

• Year: 1999
• Title: Conference Proceedings: 24th Annual Gunnison Water Workshop
• CWCB Section: Administration
• Description: Theme of the workshop was Garden of Dreams v. High-Desert Reality
• Publications - Doc Type: Other

Page 2

I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
..
I

A. THE PROBLEM: Maintaining a sustainable supply of water for the front range of
Colorado:

1. "Sustainable water supplv": Water supply that meets the needs of the present
without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.
(paraphrasing Our Common Future, Bruntland, 1987)

2. Waters now supplying front range are a finite resource:
(a) Surface supplies (renewable)
-South Platte River
-Arkansas River
-Colorado River
(b) Underground supplies
-Denver Basin (non-tributary/nonrenewable)
-Beebe Draw (alluvial/renewable)

3. Increasing consumption of existing water resources
(a) Continued population growth
(b) Increasing economic development fueled by population growth

4. Two Forks veto:
(a) Two Forks was a major part of plans for Metro Denver water supply
(b) Can anticipate that any major water supply project will face same
veto:
(1) 40 C.F.R. part 230.1O(a) provides:
no discharge of dredged or fill material shall be permitted if
there is a [1] practicable alternative to the proposed
discharge [2] which would have less adverse impact on the
aquatic ecosystem, [3] so long as the alternative does not
have other significant adverse environmental consequences.

(2) Introduction to section 404(b)(1) guidelines states:
From a national perspective, the degradation or destruction
of special aquatic sites, such as filling operations in
wetlands, is considered to be among the most severe
environmental impacts covered by these Guidelines. The
guiding principle should be that degradation or destruction
of special sites may represent an irreversible loss of
valuable aquatic resources.
(3) 40 C.F.R. part 230. 1 (c) states:
The guideline policy states that it is a fundamental precept
of federal policy to preclude the discharge of fill material
"into the aquatic ecosystem, unless it can be demonstrated