WSPC05202 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

082495 existing conditions if the pr"ject is constructed." It also cites the presence of Greenback Cutthroat Trout, and Johnny Darter which are "known to oc'.:ur on the Cache la Poudre River and St. Vrain Creek Suh:asins." We know of no threatened or endangered species .in the :i',ountain areas of the Poudre basin, and would like to have verification of this statement and a reference. Where did the various classes of fishery referred to in this report come from? Why are not the legally adopted State use classifications used or even referred to? We have serious doubts about using this level of information in a report of this type. It is meaningless and misleading. Alternative 11 - Combined Main.Stem Storage. on Alternatives 2 and 8. See comments Alternative 12 - Conjunctive Surface Water-Ground Water Use. We take issue with the statement on Page 99 that, "many senior water rights users presently suffer injury due to the pumping of alluvial ground water by wells with junior rights that were constructed prior to the Colorado Water Rights administration system in 1969." The 1969 law was designed to alleviate this problem and we know of no senior water rights users who are presently suffering injury. If that were the case, the State Engineer would shut down all Wells with junior rights. In fact, many well _users have joined the Ground Water Appropriators of the South Platte to prevent just such an occurrence.. Paragraph 3 seems to be somewhat out of context when it states that "senior water users" havedevelo:::.ed a water management plan .to supplement surface water ",ith potentially high oapacity wells. It is our understandin"1 that this has been done primarily by junior users so that ."hey can continue operating their wells during low flow periods. On Page 104 it is stated, "the Lower South Platte River is considered a Class IV Fishery." This is not an adopted use classification in the State of Colorado. What is the source? Alternative 13 - No In-Basin Development Changes with Exports to the Republican River Basin. No comment at this time. CHAPTER 6 - SUMMARY OF EVALUATION OF ALTERNATIVES On Page 110 it is stated, " also, one needs to recognize in assessing these relative benefits that an acre-foot of water passing through a turbine to generate elec~ric power is again used downstream." This is also true of large fractions of water delivered for municipal and industrial, and agricultural use, and is not reflected anywhere in this report in terms of economic benefits. 11