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V-2 TABLE V-2 AGENCY CONTROLS FOR THE TRI-LAKES RESERVOIRS Base Flow Needs There is a need for an adequate base flow in the South Platte River to ac- commodate several needs and activities, including: o Dilution of sewage effluent to reduce the deleterious impact of sewage effluent flow through the heart of Denver and Adams County. o Dilution of polluted drainage water discharged from metropolitan storm sewers and gulches. o Provision of minimum flows to carry off petroleum products such as gasoline (from vehicular accident site flushing) and oil which find their way to the river. o Provision of flows to support the aquatic life which exists in the river for its full length, ranging from trout in Littleton, catfish in Denver, to bottom-living crustaceans downstream of Sand Creek. o Adequate flows to support rafting, kayaking, canoeing, and special boating events, which draw as many as 100 boaters and in excess of 1,000 specator/participants per event in central Denver. o Swimming, though it is not sponsored, or supervised. Swimming occurs mostly among inner-city youth, primarily at the confluence of the South Platte River with Cherry Creek. . . I Water Level Agency Controlling Cr iter i a for Reservoir (E 1 ev. in Feet) Releases Rel eases Chatfield above 5,432 Corps of Engineers Flood control 5,423*-5,432 Denver Water Dept. Reservoi r poo 1 ev aporat i on and water rights below 5,423* Colorado State Engr. Water rights Bear Creek above 5,558 Corps of En g i neer s Flood control below 5,558 Co 1 or ado State Engr. Water rights Cherry Creek above 5,550 Corps of Engineers Flood control below 5,550 Colorado State Engr. Water rights *An agreement dated Apri 1 3, 1979, between the City and County of Denver, acting through the Board of Water Comnissioners, and the State of Colorado, acting through the Colorado Water Conservation Board and the Division of Parks and Outdoor Recrea- tion, provides that Denver shall regulate storage in Chatfield Reservoir between the water level elevations of 5,423 and 5,432 feet MSL, "provided that the reser- voir shall be operated as nearly as practicable to the end that at least 20,000 A reasonably adequate minimal base flow for boating purposes would range from 100 cubic feet per second (cfs) in Littleton to 2DO to 300 cfs at the Speer Boulevard bridge, just upstream from the Denver gaging station. Speer Boulevard is at the entrance to the Confluence Park Whitewater Slalom Boat Chute. The maximum safe flow for general public boating is about 1,500 cfs as measured at the Littleton gage. At flows above 1,500 cfs, boating should be limited to experienced people. acre-feet of water (elevation 5,426.94) is in storage during the period May 1 - Current Informal Methods of Low-Flow Control Special releases from Chatfield Reservoir to support special functions such as relay races, kayak sl alom races, or special raft trips have been arranged on an informal basis, subject to the requirement that such releases and the corresponding storage of water in Chatfield must not result in injury to other water users nor affect the pattern of "calls" from senior water rights downstream. August 31 of each year."