BOARD01037

• Board Meeting Date: 1/27/1999
• Description: WSP Section - Colorado River Basin Issues - 15-Mile Reach and Yampa River Endangered Fish Instream Flow Applications
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Memo

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\\\ Water Consult
, \ \ Engineering and Planning ConsultJnts

January 26, 1999

via. FAX

Colorado Water Conservation Board
1313 Sherman Street, Room 721
Denver, CO 80203

Attention: Mr. Peter Evans

SUBJECT: Agenda Item I8k - IS-Mile Reach and Yampa - Instream Flow
~mmendations

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Dear Peter:

Ii1 anticipation of the Board's action on the instream flow filings, I conducted an infonnal
survey of Upper Basin water users who have participated in the discussions regarding the
Colorado River (IS-mile reach) programmatic biological opinion regarding their preferences
for disposition of the base flow filing and recovery flow filings on the 1 Somite reach. Based
on that survey, I cannot make a recommendation to the Board on behalf of the water users.
However, I can report the following to the Board:

1. There is no support among water users for maintaining the recovery flow filing on the IS-
mile reach.

2. There is fairly strong support for withdrawing both filings.

3. There is also fairly strong support for either proceeding with the base flow filings or
putting the base flow filings on hold with a stipulation, until such time as the value of the
base flow filing can be detarmined in the future, and modified accordingly.

Therefore, I can conclude that the water community is divided on whether or not to proceed
with the base flow filing or withdraw it.

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Regardless of the action taken, we request that the Board reaffirm its commitment to protect
flows for endangered fish in the upper Colorado River basin in accordance with state law and
interstate compacts, as previously agreed to in the Recovery Program and Enforcement
Agreement

535 North Garfield Avenue
Loveland. Colorado 80537.5548

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FAX: [phone]

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