BOARD01487

• Board Meeting Date: 9/13/2005
• Description: ISF Section - Proposed Water Acquisition Pine River, La Plata County
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Memo

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STATE OF COLORADO

Colorado Water Conservation Board

Department of Natural Resources
1313 Sherman Street, Room 721
Denver, Colorado 80203
Phone: [phone]
FAX: [phone]
www.cwcb.state.co.us

Bill Owens
Governor

MEMORANDUM

Russell George
Executive Director

To:

Rod Kuharich
eWeB Director

Members, CWCB

From:

Anne Janicki

Rick Brown
Acting Depuly
Director

Date:

August 30, 2005

Subject:

Agenda Item 18 - September 13-14, 2005 Board Meeting
Stream and Lake Protection Section
Proposed Water Acquisition
Pine River, La Plata County

Backl!round

The Pine River (a!k/a Los Pinos River) is located in southwest Colorado, approximately 18
miles east of Durango near the Town of Bayfield, The Division of Wildlife (CD OW) has classified
the Pine River as a "large river" (over 100 feet wide) and has indicated that it supports a self-
sustaining Brown and Rainbow Trout population, In the lower reaches, the river supports
populations of Mottled Sculpins, Speckled Dace, White Suckers, Bluehead Suckers and
Flannelmouth Suckers, The CWCB holds an instream flow right on the Pine River upstream from
Vallecito Reservoir for 32 cfs which was decreed in Case No, 84CW283. The Board does not
currently hold an instream flow right on the Pine River downstream from the reservoir.

Over the years, local residents and other interests have contacted staff and requested that the
Board consider an instream flow appropriation on the Pine River downstream from Vallecito
Reservoir to preserve the natural environment. The Pine River was added to the Instream Flow
Workplan and proposed for consideration at the February 2003 Instream Flow Workshop.
Subsequently, staff received numerous comment letters both in support of, and opposed to
proceeding with an instream flow investigation on the Pine River, In January 2003, staffreceived a
letter from the Pine River Irrigation District (PRIO) and the Southern Ute Indian Tribe (Tribe)
expressing their "strong opposition to CWCB's consideration of a standard instream flow water right
on the Pine River downstream from Vallecito Reservoir", and requesting "development of a plan to
protect designated releases from Vallecito Reservoir for Pine River instream purposes." PRIO and
the Tribe own water stored in Vallecito Reservoir and release water to meet contract obligations and
other needs.

Flood Protection. Water Supply Planning and Finance. Stream and Lake Protection
Water Supply Protection. Conservation and Drought Planning