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<br />power generation purposes in the amount of 105 cfs, That water right, like the Shoshone water
<br />right on the Colorado River, is more than sufficient to protect the flows from the Town of .
<br />Yampa to Stagecoach Reservoir against any significant new junior depletions which might
<br />affect the fishery between those two points, Hence, we do not believe there is any threat
<br />necessitating protection ofthe proposed reach on the Yampa River, The reach of the Bear
<br />River from approximately the Town ofYampa to its headwaters is frequently administered,
<br />We are actively engaged in seeking to divert a significant amount of the flow of Coal Creek,
<br />which presently enters the Bear River just below Yamcolo Reservoir and the Stillwater Ditch
<br />headgate, a short distance into Yamcolo Reservoir itself, to firm up and re-regulate storage in
<br />Yamcolo Reservoir, That project is in the early stages of permitting, though we have obtained
<br />a conditional water right. A new in stream flow appropriation from the Town ofYampa to
<br />Stagecoach Reservoir could likely interfere with the existing operations of the District and its
<br />proposed projects, and is unnecessary to protect the fishery,
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<br />With respect to Morrison Creek, the District holds a 1994 conditional water right for
<br />50 cfs on the upper portion of Morrison Creek. You may recall that we sought to protect the
<br />ability to move that water right downstream, in connection with the settlement of the CWCB
<br />instream flow water right application on the Yampa River below Stagecoach Dam, We also
<br />have pending a 50 cfs conditional water right application on Morrison Creek below the
<br />confluence of Silver Creek. That water right may also need to be moved downstream. Finally,
<br />there is a likelihood that a new municipal storage reservoir will need to be constructed on
<br />Morrison Creek at some yet-to-be-determined location, in order to meet the long-term needs of
<br />the growing Stagecoach community, As you may know, Routt County has master-planned the
<br />Stagecoach area as a growth center, with an approved density of 2,000 dwelling units. There
<br />are currently more than 2,000 platted lots at Stagecoach, and there are presently 240 water .
<br />taps on the Morrison Creek Water and Sanitation District water system. The Morrison Creek
<br />District presently obtains its water from three wells, but continued growth may necessitate a
<br />municipal diversion on Morrison Creek, with a backup of the proposed storage on Morrison
<br />Creek.
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<br />The two conditional water rights of the District on Morrison Creek, totaling 100 cfs,
<br />are fully-consumptive to the stream, for the purpose of diversion into Little Morrison Creek
<br />and delivery into Stagecoach Reservoir, As you know, Morrison Creek enters the Yampa River
<br />below the Stagecoach Dam, There is an existing old irrigation water right on Morrison Creek
<br />for the Gay Ranch of 15 cfs, at a location just above the confluence with the Yampa River,
<br />That irrigation right, in effect, preserves a minimum flow in the stream during the irrigation
<br />season,
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<br />The District believes it is inappropriate, and tremendously complicating, for the CWCB
<br />to initiate a new appropriation for an instream flow on Morrison Creek, until the necessary
<br />development of Morrison Creek for (i) firming of yield or additional storage in Stagecoach
<br />Reservoir and (ii) providing a surface water municipal source, and municipal storage reservoir,
<br />for the Stagecoach area, are finally determined and implemented, Because of the Steamboat
<br />Springs RlCD, unfortunately, the new storage in Morrison Creek, if accomplished by the
<br />Upper Yampa District in lieu of the Morrison Creek District, would likely utilize the District's
<br />Pleasant Valley conditional storage right, which we will have to seek to change to the
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