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<br />SWIMMING. UPSTREAM
<br />
<br />The Redlands Fish Ladder, the nanow channel on the left
<br />side of this photo, has enabled 8,006 native rlSh' to
<br />migrate 'around the diversion dam imd reach upstream '
<br />habitat In the Gunnison River. After being shut down for
<br />the winter, the ladder was reopened in March. '
<br />
<br />Photo by Ko!hy Fenton
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<br />Endangered ,fisb to benefit froni~ water rights settlement
<br />
<br />Endangered fish stand ,'to benefit' '
<br />from a water coUrt settlement made hi
<br />Glenwood Spring9 iast fall irivolving ,
<br />operation of Green' MoUntain
<br />Reservoir and ,various Grand Valley
<br />diversion dams and pumping and
<br />power plants.
<br />The decision will helP, endangered
<br />fish by increasing , dry~season
<br />flows in the Colorado' River between
<br />Palisade, Colo., and the ,Gunnison
<br />River confluence.
<br />"The agre~ment is a win-win situa-
<br />tion," said, Brent ,Uilenberg of the
<br />Bureau of Reclamation.. -"It allows
<br />more efficient use of irrigation water in
<br />the Grand Valley without risking loss of
<br />water rights. It keeps more, water on the
<br />Western Slope, improves water qualiiy
<br />and the supply ofwaterfor endangered '__, ,Photo by Greg Corle,
<br />fish and allows upstream junior right'" Brent Uilenberg, environmental' resources group chief for the Bureau of
<br />holders to protecl.tbeir ability to uSe' Reclamation in Grand Junction, ColO., stands in front of ,three gates (in back-
<br />ColoradO River water," ground), that can ba reised to, allow water to flow into the Colorado River, bane-
<br />In exchange foi not exercising cer- fitting endangered fish. Operation of these gates was a toc8l j:loini of ,the water
<br />, ' ,rights setUemenl. " '
<br />tain water rights, three irrigation com-
<br />panies -, the Grand Valley liTigation " The higher flows will improve con-'
<br />Company" Orchard Mesa liTigation ditions, for' endangered, Colorado
<br />District and Grantl Valley Water Userssquawfish,.- which, are routinely found,
<br />Associatiori~benefit by maintaining i" ,the Colorado" River, near Grand
<br />their current diversion rates, gaining Juriction. '",
<br />more involvemeni in Green MoUntain "As recently as the mid-1980s parts
<br />Reservoir water managemeilt and in of that stretch of the Colorado have
<br />some years, receiving' "excess" water occasionally dried up in' sunUner/' s~id
<br />from Green Mountain Reservoir. This, John Hamill of the U.S. Fish and
<br />water is colder and has fewer minerals' Wildlife Service. "The agreement will
<br />and less sediment, providing' higher enhaJ)ce flows at a critical period of the
<br />qualiiy water, to iiTigators and munici: year ~ late sumrnerand mto fall." ,
<br />palities. The settlement is the p'roduct of five
<br />
<br />
<br />years of negotiation and was signed by
<br />ail 42: parties involved in the case. It
<br />should make available about 30;000
<br />more acre-feet o{water per year. ' , , '
<br />The agreement will provide water
<br />for endangered' fish and for people,
<br />according to H~ll.
<br />''This will work to accomPlish -the
<br />dual purposes of the endangered species
<br />recovery program by helping, recover
<br />the, endangered' fish while allowing
<br />water development to' continue on
<br />Colorado's Western Slope," he said.
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