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WSPC02657
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Last modified
1/26/2010 11:20:23 AM
Creation date
10/9/2006 3:29:30 AM
Metadata
Fields
Template:
Water Supply Protection
File Number
8210.761.09.B
Description
Colorado River-Federal Agencies-US NPS-Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Monument
State
CO
Basin
Colorado Mainstem
Water Division
5
Date
1/15/1999
Author
Aaron Porter
Title
2nd Quantification Attempt-Park Service Wants to Flush Black Canyon
Water Supply Pro - Doc Type
News Article/Press Release
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<br />'Park Sefvice <br />wants to flush <br />Black Canyon <br />Delta officials fear high flows <br />would causedevastatingflood <br />( Ill.- <br /> <br />ByMRON PORml <br />The DaitySentinel <br /> <br />DELTA - Local officials fear a <br />U.S. National Park Service proposal <br />to return historic high water flows to <br />the GWlnison River through the <br />Black Canyon could generate cata- <br />strophic flooding for miles down- <br />stream. <br />"What they're basically proposing <br />is to flood our city and our county," <br />Delta Community Development Di. <br />rector Rich Sales said. <br />While litigating its rights to Gun, <br />nison River water in the state's wa. <br />ter court. the Park Service devel- <br />oped a plan to "flush" the Black <br />Canyon of the Gwmison National <br />Monument with occasional high wa- <br />ter releases, The releases would re- <br />move sand and debris that have ac- <br />cumulated since the Bureau of <br />Reclamation constructed a series of <br />, upstream dams earlier this century. <br />"When we focused on the monu- <br />ment's resources, we "identified the <br />need for high flows through the <br />monument," Park Service hydrolo- <br />gist Mark Wondzell said, <br />"What the Park Service would <br />like to see is a more natural hy- <br />drograph." he said. "because that's <br />what we feel protects the resource." <br />The proposal calls for a peak flow <br />of up to 12.000 cubic feet per second <br />through the monument, for up to <br />two weeks in Mayor June of each <br />year, Sales said nonnal flow in the <br />Black Canyon at that time of year is <br />about 4.000 cubic feet per second. At <br />the proposed peak flow in the monu- <br />ment. the added water in the Gunni- <br />son River could wipe out many low. <br />land properties because the proposal <br />coincides with peak sununer flows <br />in the Delta area, Sales said. <br /> <br />County and city officials met with <br />representatives from the Bureau of <br />Reclamation and Park Service on <br />Monday to express their concerns <br />for the proposal. <br />The Park Service has been litigat- <br />ing its right to water flowing <br />through the Black Canyon for sever. <br />al years, said Chuck Pettee of the <br />Park Service. A settlement was pro- <br />posed last month. he said, to <br />co-manage Park Service water <br />rights equally with the Wayne F. As- <br />pinall units, a series of three roeser. <br />yoirs on ti-.::: Gunnison River :.:'::..-,. <br />aged. by the Bureau of Reclamation. <br />The two federal agencies have .'l <br />nwnber of conflicting priorities ',0 <br />resolve, Pettee said. such as wht'n <br />peak flows are appropriate. The Bu- <br />reau of Reclamation is required to <br />control downstream flooding. - he <br />noted. while the Park Service wants <br />a "flushing flow" through the monu- <br />ment, preferably during high water <br />periods. u_. '.' <br />"The city (or Delta) doesn't oppose <br />the National Park Service asserting <br />those water rights." Sales said. "Our <br />problem is with the preferred plan to <br />put water down the canyon during <br />flood stages." <br />SaJes said increased GUlU1ison <br />River flows will likely exacerbate <br />the already uncontrollable bank era. <br />sion on properties in the Delta area <br />flOOdplain. Debris carried out of the <br />Black Canyon may damage county <br />bridges. as well. Commissioner Ted <br />Hayden said. <br />Bureau of Reclamation represen. <br />tath'e Ed Warner said the agency <br /> <br />See CANYON, page 5A ~ <br /> <br />. <br />C-..t- ~t'. <br /> <br />pU1 <br />rf\i~~~~W~[Q) <br /> <br />JAN 1 5 1!'19C! <br /> <br />OFFICE OF THE <br />ATTORNEY GENERAL <br />NATURAL RESOUHCES SECTION <br /> <br />CANYON: Plan up for discussion <br /> <br />~ Continued from Page One <br /> <br />officials. <br />Pettee said Park Service officials <br />will be discussing their plans with <br />other federal agencies and local gov- <br />ernments to mitigate any major im- <br />pacts. He was unsure \vhen the pro- <br />posal could be implemented. saying <br />only that the water rights adjudica. <br />tion could last several more months. <br /> <br />will continue to mitigate flooding <br />and notify officials downstream <br />when high water flows are released. <br />"We don't see anything changing <br />in what we've done to date in terms <br />of notifying you when the water <br />starts coming up," Warner told local <br /> <br />002690 <br />
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