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<br />MINER'S CREEK
<br />
<br />[','ge 20 - THE TEN MilE TIMES - Dee. \-7. \999
<br />
<br />Continued from page
<br />
<br />L"T.'p~'r Blue Ri\"t.~r in~ln;;1ll1 flow
<br />J~(';:ces I,m ~h;1t '.Tf\' i~"ue. p(lrzJ~
<br />5<1\'5 tbe st:lle didn't" C\Tn know tht?
<br />di;,ersion e.xistcd 'Nhen the ill~tr(';1ll'
<br />ilows 'Nere esIJb\ished. clnd wnuld
<br />thus h.Jve to ,ugtl~ that "it obtained ,1
<br />right to w"tL'r oi which it h<1d no
<br />knowledge."
<br />But holding out,,) c.:\rrot. rurzak's
<br />
<br />Merriman 5J.id the board's staif has
<br />rcached ;1 L'rciirnin,u\' conclusion
<br />that there "'\'(Jldd be" "n2'rv little
<br />irn~',KI." I\n\' dicc\.s woulJ Lll' limit*
<br />cd tn t1H." fe,lel1 betwcl!n the
<br />Bre(kcnri(tp~ S,lnil,ltion Di:-tric: ("dl-
<br />ilv .1lld the reSl'r':!)ir, \lcrr\:7\an
<br />exol.1ined.
<br />'There could ;lbo h: S,lme irne.1ct to
<br />,':;;lretch of thl:! mUl' f<lrthl'f ups't;:cilm.
<br />in " ::;cction th.lt i~n'l protected by
<br />;;\.1tr~ instre,lm (lows. It's not c1e:H ,1t
<br />this tim\.' Wh,lt tb\2 ::;cttlelTlellt .soldd
<br />mean for the f31uc bL,jOW il~ conflu-
<br />ence '.':ith rrench
<br />Gulch, where \e\"cis vi
<br />toxic 1112.1\.... metals
<br />chrollicallv" (',:ceed
<br />st.1te-m.1llj,lted limits.
<br />Bllt the settlen~ent
<br />offer docs set!n1 to ;<lle-
<br />\"i,lte tn,llH' 01 the con-
<br />Cl,'rns of "the i\liner's
<br />Creek group.
<br />"The opportunity
<br />now exists for us to
<br />resolve this," attorney
<br />Peter Mohr said short-
<br />ly after re\'iewing
<br />Breckenridge's settlement offer.
<br />~fohr has been representing the
<br />Defenders of Miner's Creek during
<br />the leg<1l proceedings. "The settle-
<br />ment offers the Defenders <1 chance to
<br />protect their interest in Miner's
<br />Creek," he said. "We may be able to
<br />settle this;wi"thout further litigation."
<br />The settlement offer WilS discussed
<br />by the CWCB in an executive session,
<br />triggering concerns that a decision
<br />could be milde without opportunity
<br />for public involvement. Any modifi.
<br />cation of the state's instream flow
<br />rights 'requires ,1 public process, but
<br />
<br />"I've been keeping tabs on
<br />the Miner's Creek situation to make
<br />sure the instream flow program is
<br />rigorously enforced."
<br />
<br />Kelly Custer, an attorney with
<br />Trout Unlimited's
<br />YVestern YVater Project
<br />
<br />It:tter goes un to :;t.lte that.
<br />"Obviou::-ly, the proposed ~ettl(,l11ent
<br />would avoid surh il re-opening of
<br />tbese decrees."
<br />Dan Merriman, chi{'f of the
<br />CWCB's instreillTl flow protection
<br />progr.1ffi, .Jcknowledges the legal
<br />challenges, and says the question is
<br />whether they h;l\'e any merit or not.
<br />. "We may h,we a differcllce of-opiniun
<br />on that," Merriman 5.lV5.
<br />It's not completely 'clear ret whilt
<br />effect - if .lIlY - Breckenridge's
<br />claim would have on the state's
<br />instream flows in the Blue River, but
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<br />
<br />
<br />A history of the Miner's (re'[~
<br />water rights dispute '
<br />
<br />have affected a web of ditclt~'"
<br />ponds in the Bill's Ranch neighOQ
<br />hood. ImpJ.cts to riparian "
<br />JquJtic habitJ.t along :-.nner's ..~
<br />were also among the concerns QU
<br />lined by the group in a series of .
<br />tets to the town. . :~-;,~
<br />After Breckenridge's initiiil~p .
<br />posa! was rejected by the state;i;l)e.
<br />to;.....n triggered J. move to m_ "
<br />the state's instream flow ri&h~.
<br />claiming that the CWeB orig...
<br />erred in its approFrlation, an(tlla
<br />the aquatic ~l1vironmt:'nt in ~ .. ....
<br />Creek would be reasonably pro.....
<br />ed with lesser nows than th.
<br />dt;!creed_ To back its pOSitio'~;~
<br />town cited a hydrological and en' .
<br />ronmental study. The terms oftlie' '.
<br />. --...
<br />town's recent settlement offer s~~. -:,- ..
<br />fv a withdrawal of the modification .;'.-<'~
<br />process. 8 -
<br />- Bob BerwYIi
<br />
<br />~Iiner's Creek runs from the
<br />nortJlern end uf the Tenmile Range
<br />:'last Frisco and into Dillon
<br />Reservoir. Breck~nridge first
<br />ciaimed water from the strea.m last
<br />February. As first proposed; tht;!
<br />diversion would h<1\'e Llifected the
<br />~tate'5 instre..1m tlows in ~liner:s
<br />Creek, established to orotect the
<br />environment to reasonable degree.
<br />The town sought to take up to 4
<br />cis of water at t\vo separate points
<br />_ from an existing ditch that shunts
<br />water via the :'\iort., Barton. Gulch
<br />drainage to the Blue River, and a
<br />from a new diversion, proposed for
<br />a different Nliner's Creek tributary,
<br />higher up in the Miner's Creek
<br />drainage.
<br />A group calling itself the
<br />Ddenders of Miner's Creek -
<br />formed to fight Breckenr~dge's
<br />claim - said the diversions could.
<br />
<br />settlement discussions of a matter
<br />under adjudication can be held with-
<br />out public particip,:dion.
<br />"We didn't want them to make a
<br />decision without having a chilllce.to
<br />see the settlement proposaL" Mohr
<br />said.
<br />Kelly Custer, an attorney with
<br />Trout Unlimited's Western Water
<br />Project, concurred.
<br />''I've been keeping tabs on the
<br />Miner's Creek situati_on to make sure
<br />the instream flow program is rigor.
<br />ously enforced," said Custer, whose
<br />group works to protect cold-water
<br />fisheries. "We've been concerned
<br />about the meetings held behind
<br />closed door;;," Custer added, explain.
<br />ing that she asked the CWCB to make
<br />all the information public - includ-
<br />ing a report on r-.,Iiner's Creek com.
<br />piled by CWCB s~aff this summer.
<br />There is concern, among conserva.
<br />Hon groups that the CWCB has de-
<br />emphasized the instream flow pro.
<br />tection program. New appointments
<br />by Republican Governor Bill .O'...ens
<br />have changed the co'mplexion of the
<br />
<br />""=' _.... ~ ,l!6
<br />
<br />
<br />.::; :...,.
<br />-.
<br />board, and some critics sa\' the ..~~',
<br />CWCS is not taking its responiibility ".r:
<br />to protect the natural environment -. ,
<br />seriously. As a result of the political' -.-:.
<br />chanses, some observers 5a___:';_1
<br />board appears to be more frie ~'""t
<br />private water attorneys seekl "1
<br />pre-empt the state's instream flow ,0,1
<br />mgs. d"'7'.
<br />F~nal te:ms of the settlement s'tjU .::~
<br />have to be negotiated by the p.1rties, :_'/:j
<br />and other questions remain. ..:".~
<br />Breckenridge is claiming :2 cfs in the : ~~
<br />existing diversion, but it's not clear :;.~'
<br />how much \"'ater the ditch is capable ......;'!;
<br />of carrying, how much it historically -.[~?~;
<br />carried or how much of the water - _::~~
<br />actuaHy ever made it all the way back ~
<br />to the Blue River. . _,~
<br />If the state a'ccepts the settlement .t:..i~
<br />and acknowledges Breckenridge's. ..;:-i:-~
<br />claim to the Miner's Creek water, the -,;;!.
<br />town could store more wilter :.":':_.~.~.'.:,.
<br />upstream, while stilt ensuring that -
<br />required instream tlO\"'s are being .. J'
<br />met. The CWCB will again consider
<br />the settlement offer at its January
<br />meeting.
<br />
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