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<br />002970 <br /> <br />water of approximately 20,000 acre-feet is available, it will provide 1,009 eft per <br />day for a 10 day period.." (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 1999, p, II). <br /> <br />This report provides recommendations for a more detailed and in-depth analysis of a limited <br />number of alternatives to be investigated in Phase 2 of this project. The results of the Phase 2 <br />investigation will be a set ofrecommended projects for supplying 20,000 acre-feet of water on all <br />average annual basis, under the ground rules and assumptions eXplained in this report. <br /> <br />In preparing this report, the consultant team has worked closely with, and incorporated input <br />from, an Executive Committee representing a broad set of interests participating in the Upper <br />Colorado River Basin Recovery Program. The Executive Committee consists of the following: <br />(1) one representative from the Colorado Water Conservation Board (CWCB) (who serves as the <br />Executive Committee's primary point of contact with the consultant team and who chairs the <br />Committee); (2) one representative from the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation); (3) one' <br />representative from the Service; (4) two representatives from the water user community (one east <br />slope and one west slope); (5) and one representative from the environmental community. The <br />Executive Committee has sought advice and input from a Steering Committee, which consists of <br />a broader array of interests in the Recovery Program. The consultant team and the CWCB made <br />drafts of this report available to the Executive Committee and any other interested person. In <br />addition, the consultant team and the CWCB held two public meetings, in Glenwood Springs and <br />Denver, to seek input into the study. Finally, members of the consultant team conducted <br />numerous one-on-one interviews with various interests to verify assumptions and information, <br />critique alternatives, and seek new alternatives. <br /> <br />1.2 BACKGROUND <br /> <br />The Service and the Upper Colorado River Recovery Program have been working on a number <br />of initiatives to secure water to augment spring flows to the 15-Mile Reach. The Coordinated <br />Reservoir Operations Program (CROP) was implemented as a coordinated interagency effort to <br />provide discretionary bypasses of inflow at major reservoirs in the basin to coincide with the <br />natural spring peak. Augmentation of the peak under CROP can occur during slightly below <br />average, average, and above average hydrologic conditions. <br /> <br />The second initiative is the Coordinated Management of Colorado Water Division 5 Facilities <br />pursuant to the PBO, which is the subject of this report. This initiative is intended to assess <br />water management facilities and operations that can be further managed to benefit fish habitat <br />primarily in the spring and secondarily in the late summer and fall. The intent of the initiative is <br />for project sponsors to secure a firm water supply for project purposes, and to utilize any <br />flexibility that may concurrently exist to provide water for enhancement of the spring peak (U .S. <br />Fish and Wildlife Service, December 20, 1999), The amount of water available, benefits, <br />physical and legal constraints, and recommended options will be determined through this <br />analysis and presented to the Recovery Program, <br /> <br />1lI <br /> <br />p:\data\gen\Ocwcb\ 18133\report\phase-1 \chap-I.doc <br /> <br />1-2 <br />