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<br />002853 <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />requirements for water supply in the headwaters wilderness areas. First, by disclaiming any <br /> <br /> <br />reserved rights for wilderness purposes the bill leaves unclouded our ability to protect and <br /> <br /> <br />develop future water supplies downstream. Second, it safeguards the existing water <br /> <br /> <br />resources in the headwaters areas by foreclosing any further development within those areas, <br /> <br />assuring water availability to support wilderness values. <br /> <br />The Colorado Water Conservation Board's major role is to assure the greatest <br /> <br /> <br />utilization of Colorado's water supplies. Our opinion that S. 1029 explicitly and effectively <br /> <br /> <br />protects our future development potential was not arrived at lightly. Furthermore, should <br /> <br /> <br />any change occur in the water rights provision during the Congressional process, the Board <br />reserves the right to reconsider its support. <br /> <br />The final part of my testimony deals with the important challenge described for the <br /> <br /> <br />Board in the downstream area proposed as the Piedra Wilderness. Attached to my written <br /> <br /> <br />statement are two items: the first is a Resolution adopted by the Board expressing a <br /> <br />willingness to fulfill the role and responsibilities described in S. 1029, and the second is a <br /> <br />map of the Piedra Wilderness, the surrounding Piedra River watershed, and showing the <br /> <br />existing instream flow decrees held by the Board on the river and its tributaries. <br /> <br />Allow me the opportunity to describe Colorado's instream flow program. The statute, <br /> <br /> <br />37-92-102(3), CRS, was enacted in 1973 and the Board now holds decrees for over 7200 <br /> <br /> <br />miles of Colorado's streams and for 485 natural lakes. On my staff are five water resources <br /> <br />2 <br />