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<br />NOV-13-96 WED 10:08 AM DOW FT COLLINS <br /> <br />FAX NO. lllU 411U ~ti~1 <br /> <br />r. ua 1'1 <br /> <br />..10nal correspond.ence Only <br /> <br />J)ATEI <br /> <br />TO I <br /> <br />FROK: <br /> <br />RE: <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />STATB OF COLOltAI)() <br /> <br />DIVISION OF WILDLIFE <br /> <br />D~AUMEIIT Of 1lATIJRAJ. RESCIlIlCES <br /> <br />NOVember 13, 1996 <br />Eddie Kochman <br /> <br />Steve Puttmann <br /> <br />Halligan Reservoir/phantom Canyon Fish Kill <br /> <br />On september 27-28, 1996 a large volume of sediment was <br />released from Halligan Reservoir during a complete drawdown of <br />the reservoir for purpose. related to safety inspection of the <br />upstream face of the 90 year old dam. The Division of Water <br />Resources water commissioner was aware of the drawdown and was <br />on site during the event, hoWever 'the drawdown was evidently <br />not ordered by the Division of Water Resources. <br /> <br />The release of sediment frOm the reservoir was enormous, <br />destroying and impacting aquatic habitat over a 6 mile reach <br />of river. Fish kill investigation conducted by the Division <br />of Wildlife beginning October 3, 1996 (copy attached) <br />concluded that 4,250 brown and rainbow trout were killed in <br />the event with a complete kill on trout extending 3.2 miles <br />downstream of the dam. Aquatic invertebrate life was <br />completely eliminated in the same stream reach. <br />Representative communities of fish and invertebrates could be <br />found in the lower 2.4 miles of the Phantom Canyon reach of <br />the North Fork Poudre River. <br /> <br />An initial meeting to discuss future actions was held on <br />october 22, 1996 (mailing list attached). That meeting <br />summarized impacts and established two working groups to deal <br />with the Halligan Reservoir incident. A technical worltgroup <br />headed by me was established to formulate plans to <br />remove/~lush sediment from the Phantom Canyon reach and <br />eventually recolonize wild trout to the impacted zone. ~is <br />process will likely take lIIany year.. A second work group or <br />taslt force was also established to oversee the technical <br />workgroup and to provide broader, longer term. guidance on the <br />issue of sediment discharge from reservoirs under routine <br />water rights operation or durinq safety inspection. Dick <br />stenzel, Water Division 1 District Engineer is heading up that <br />group. A first meeting of the technical workgroup was beld on <br />October 29, 1996 and minutes of that meetil19 arc ClttClchcd. <br />