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<br />. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />. ""'<.....,. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />/615 <br /> <br />RIO GRANDE WATER CONSERVATION DISTRICT <br />10900 HIGHWAY 160 EAST . ALAMOSA, COLORADO 81101.9518 <br />Phone: (719) 589-6301 . Fax: (719) 589-4331 <br /> <br />January 26, 1999 <br /> <br />Peter Evans <br />Acting Director <br />Colorado Water Conservation Board <br />1313 Sherman Street, 7th Floor <br />Denver, CO 80203 <br /> <br />Re: Rio Grande Headwaters Restoration <br />Project <br /> <br />Dear Peter: <br /> <br />At its quarterly meeting on January 19, 1999, the Rio Grande Water <br />Conservation District discussed the application for funding of the Rio Grande <br />Headwaters Restoration Project. The request is for funding to provide a scoping <br />study for a project designed to improve the channel of the Rio Grande, stabilize <br />critical stream erosion areas, protect irrigation structures and canals, improve the <br />channel capacity as well as seek to provide greater flood protection while at the same <br />time enhancing and improving aquatic and wildlife habitat. The Rio Grande Water <br />Conservation District strongly supports these goals. The District Board wants you <br />and the Water Conservation Board members to understand that this is a project that <br />is being proposed by a broad range of San Luis Valley citizens representing a wide <br />variety of interests. It is not just traditional water users. The San Luis Valley Water <br />Conservancy District has agreed to take the lead in moving this project forward and <br />will be intimately involved in its execution. <br /> <br />The Rio Grande Water Conservation District is dedicated to improving the <br />availability of the water resources apportioned to Colorado by the Rio Grande <br />Compact to its citizens. Naturally, the efficient use of those waters for both irrigation <br />and municipal use as well as for environmental uses such as the improvement and <br />stabilization of the rivers riparian areas are of great importance to the District and <br />its Board. Although more traditional water projects are often looked to by water <br />users as the means to improve their water supply, it is the conviction of the Rio <br />Grande Water Conservation District Board that improving the way in which the Rio <br />Grande mainstem functions will have a significant positive effect for all of the water <br />users in the Valley, while at the same time meeting several environmental goals. <br />Peter, this is a water supply project. Its effect to our water users will be similar to <br />building a reservoir because a properly functioning river channel will get them water <br />