BOARD01004

• Board Meeting Date: 9/24/2001
• Description: CWCB Director's Report
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Memo

was general consensus that the Pilot Bank could be a useful first step, and that water interests wanted to give
.the pilot program a fair chance of success. There may be an opportunity for state agencies [such as Parks
and DOW] that occasionally purchase stored water in the basin to utilize the pilot bank for those transactions
as a way of generating business for this demonstration project. Staff will continue to participate and provide
assistance to the State Engineer and basin water interests as the pilot program is developed and implemented.

Colorado River Basin Issues

Colorado River Field Hearing: On July 9th, the House Resources Subcommittee on Water and Power held
a field hearing in Salt Lake City, Utah on seven states' use ofthe Colorado River. Representatives from Utah,
Colorado, California, Wyoming, New Mexico, Nevada, and Arizona addressed the subcommittee. The
overall message from the states was that the seven states of the Colorado River Drainage Basin can well
manage the waters of the Colorado, and any federal action must be in conjunction with state laws, interstate
compacts, and the Law of the River. Individual representatives each strongly stated their conviction that any
federal action must be made only with the involvement and consultation with the seven states. Summaries of
the comments made by representatives from the states are attached.

Draft Recovery Goals Issued: On September 10th the USFWS issued draft recovery goals to supplement
and amend recovery plans for four species of endangered fish of the Colorado River Basin. The goals are
supposed to identify site-specific management actions necessary to minimize or remove threats; establish
objective, measurable criteria that consider demographic and genetic needs for self-sustaining, viable
populations; and provide recovery time estimates.

Draft recovery goals will be mailed to interested persons upon request and are available at mountain-
vrairie. fws.f!ov/ea/in foouckets/colorudoriver. .

. Comments on the goals should be postmarked by October 24, 2001. A decision on the final goals will be
made three to six months after the comment period closes. Final goals win become part of the recovery plan
for each species.

Biologic Studies Proceeding on Gore Creek: Members ofthe Stream and Lake Protection Section met with
Sue Helm, aquatic biologist William Walsh, and Jay Skiuner of the Division of Wildlife on August 25, 2001
to discuss preliminary results of a brown trout egg survival study being conducted on Gore Creek. Last
winter, Mr. Walsh initiated a study which he hopes will quantify the relationship between instream velocity
parameters at brown trout redds (egg nests) and over-winter survival of brown trout eggs. Preliminary
results indicate that velocities of 0.5 ft/sec to 1.1 ft/sec are optimum for over-winter survival of brown trout
eggs. Mr. Walsh plans to continue this study next winter over a wider range of Colorado streams.

Deep Creek Wilderness Discussions: At the urging of U.S. Rep. Scott McInnis, the Colorado River Water
Conservation District, the Sierra Club and others have been discussing the designation of an area near the
Flattops Wilderness Area as an additional federally protected wilderness area.

The area, known as Deep Creek, is described as being a dramatic canyon similar to the Black Canyon of the
Gunnison. Deep Creek emerges above Dotsero to join the Eagle River and eventually the Colorado River.

Although Deep Creek is indisputably beautiful, it is downstream from its headwaters within a national forest.
The CRWCD and the Divisiop of Wildlife are the major water rights holders, but several small ditches also
have upstream water rights.

McInnis has encouraged the parties to pay special attention to crafting language regarding water rights before
. making a wilderness recommendation. No consensus language has emerged from these discussions and early
versions of proposed language have not been acceptable to McInnis or the CRWCD.

A draft of the Deep Creek Wilderness water language is attached.

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