WSP01996

• File Number: 8149.911
• Description: PSOP Background
• Basin: Arkansas
• Date: 3/1/2000
• Author: Montgomery Watson
• Title: Permitting and Regulatory Issues Prepared for Arkansas Basin Future Water and Storage Needs Assessment Enterprise
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Publication

I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I

2348

General Comments
1. Colorado State Parks may potentially have internal conflicts between benefits to the Arkansas
River and benefits to Pueblo Reservoir.
2. It was verified that "Entities West of Pueblo" includes Buena Vista and Salida.
3. Exchanges will likely be an issue for all alternatives. In general, increased exchanges are not
good for the river system because it tends to lower the river level in the exchange reach.
4. Parks indicated that the instream flow requirements are 250 cfs year-round and 700 cfs from
July 15th to August 15th, not 2501750.
5. Efficient accounting of water is important regardless of the alternative(s) selected.

Lake Meredith Exvansion
1. Parks currently uses Lake Meredith water as a source for exchanges up to Trinidad for
recreational purposes. The exchange is a small amount, but it is an important exchange.
2. Currently, both Lake Meredith and Lake Henry are within the DOW jurisdiction. In the short
term, Parks is not interested in any operational involvement in Lake Meredith. However, in
the long term, especially if the reservoir is expanded, Parks may be interested in operational
involvement.
3. Parks would be concerned about the potential affects on river levels due to exchanges using
Lake Meredith.

TurQuoise Reservoir Expansion
1. Again, exchanges are the primary issue.
2. Parks is also concerned with the potential drop in Arkansas River flows due to storage in
upstream reservoirs.

Fry-Ark Proiect Reoverations
1. Lloyd Gronning indicated that reoperations would tend towards higher storage levels in
Project reservoirs.
2. Parks is concerned about water levels in Pueblo Reservoir, as well as the affect on timing of
the reservoir levels. In general, Parks would prefer a constant reservoir level during peak
operations, generally May through September.
3. Parks may like the possibility of non-Project water stored in Project storage space due to
reoperations.
4. Storage of winter water in the joint use pool causes flooding of facilities in the Spring.
Therefore, Parks would be concerned if winter water were stored in the joint use pool more
often than existing.

Pueblo Reservoi r
1. The inundation and replacement of structures and utilities (water lines, sanitary sewer lines,
lift stations, phone lines) are a concern.
2. There may be significant loss of shoreline access. The higher areas surrounding the reservoir
tend to be steeper with more cliffs. Therefore, there may be a loss of beaches.
3. There is concern about the potential of higher release rates from Pueblo Reservoir. Parks has
facilities downstream of the reservoir that become inundated under higher release rates. The
current maximum release rate is 6,000 cfs.
4. There are safety concerns regarding the spillway during high water. Wave action can propel
objects over the spillway during high wind events.

2