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OCT-24-199513t29 FROM GJPO BUREAU OF REC. 0PT10IfAl. FORM" U-1Ol FAX T.AANSMITTAL TO 83038662115 P.01 RECEIVED OCT 25 1995 t" Pfom PIlono , fa~o.:,-$'6 6-':1..1 J S Fox' Il6fj 7$40_01_317_7388 _-'0' GGNI!RAL SEIMCES _IN'STllA1'IOIc Co Colorado Water nsarvation Board lo(;;.~/'7S- ~ Daily Sentinel editorials Saving endangered fish The Colorado Water Conservaliou Boud act~d Friday to protect endangered fish in the Colo- rAdo River. The aotion will also help to prevent too much Western Slope water from l!oing to the Front : Range and to preserve the : state's ability to determine : Its owri future in the use of : the river. All of this .was done while : preserving a large block .of . watel' Cor development. ; The water board voted to file for in-stream flows in '\lhat i. known as th.. 15-mi1p. reach, that stretch of the Col. orado River from the Grand : Valley Canal intake at pali- .1. sade to the confluence with . the Gunnison River. ; The state will file for base . flow rights to preserve II i minimum amount of water in . the river at all times. These : in-stream water rights wll1 have a 1995 date and would be junior to existing munici. pal and irril.ation rights in the river. The~' \lo:ould pro- tect the fish from future development that threatens to dry up the flver. In addition, the water board approved filing for recover)' now rights - also junior to existing rights - to make sure there is enough water to help. re-establish populations of endangered fish in thfl river, With the recO'fery flow rights would be tlfe set-aside of 100,000 to 242.000 acre-feet of Colorado River water each year, spe- cifically to allow de~elopment Those who oppose the In. .stream flow rights ignore important'points. Onc is that the filing ful- fills the state's commitment to the joint federal and slate endaneered fish recovery program, a commitment made in 1988. If the state didn't follow throug,b on its commitment by applying for the in.stream flows. "environmental groups would undoubtedly hustle themselves to court, and fed~ eral judges would be deter- mining how the river wnllld be managed rather than state officials. Finally, there can be no excuse for not preserving a minimum in-stream now in this stretch of the river. SurelY no one wants lo see the Colorado River dried up, whether It has endangered !'ish in it or not. . ..