Summit County Citizens Voice

Conservation groups not satisfied with proposed mitigation; say bypass is needed to protect water quality

The fate of the Colorado River is at stake in plans to divert more water to the Front Range.

The Windy Gap firming project will further reduce flows in depleted Upper Colorado River.

By Summit Voice

SUMMIT COUNTY — The average annual flow in the Colorado River below Granby Reservoir would decrease by about 15 percent under a proposed plan to increase diversions from the West Slope to the Front Range, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation acknowledged last week, releasing a final environmental impact statement for the Windy Gap firming project.

Even more worrisome to conservation advocates are the projected declines in summer flows. Below Windy Gap Reservoir, July flows could drip by as much as 20 percent, according to the Bureau’s study, which also acknowledged that extensive mitigation measures will be needed to protect West Slope aquatic ecoystems. Click here to read the EIS executive summary.

But the proposed mitigation falls short of what’s needed to protect the Upper Colorado, according to Trout Unlimited, a cold-water fisheries conservation group.

“This new document is an improvement over the previous version in that it acknowledges the Windy Gap project will worsen conditions in the Upper Colorado River and Grand Lake unless measures are taken,” said Drew Peternell, executive director of Trout Unlimited’s Colorado Water Project. All the Final EIS documents are online at this BuRec website.

“However, the mitigation proposed by the bureau falls far short of what is needed and critical problems continue to be ignored. We urge the Bureau to require additional protective measures to preserve this irreplaceable natural resource,” Peternell said.

A short description of the proposed alternative from the Bureau’s website:

“The Proposed Action includes construction of a 90,000 AF Chimney Hollow Reservoir, along with the ability to store, or preposition, C-BT water in the new reservoir (Figure ES-4). Water would be conveyed to Chimney Hollow Reservoir via a new pipeline connection to existing East Slope C-BT facilities.

New connections between Chimney Hollow Reservoir and Carter Lake would allow delivery of water to Participants using existing infrastructure. No new West Slope infrastructure would be needed to divert or convey water to the East Slope.
Prepositioning would involve the use of available Adams Tunnel capacity to deliver C-BT water into Chimney Hollow Reservoir to occupy storage space that is not occupied by Windy Gap water. The delivery of C-BT water from Granby Reservoir into Chimney Hollow Reservoir would create space for Windy Gap water in Granby Reservoir. When Windy Gap water is diverted into Granby Reservoir, the C-BT water in Chimney Hollow Reservoir would be exchanged for a like amount of Windy Gap water in Granby Reservoir. Total allowable C-BT storage would not change and the existing C-BT diversions would not be expanded. If operated in this manner, Chimney Hollow Reservoir would be nearly full most of the time.”

“Trout Unlimited’s concerns with the Environmental Impact Statement are echoed by the Upper Colorado River Alliance, a nonprofit group that is also seeking to require more mitigation to protect the river,” said Boulder attorney Steven J. Bushong, a representative of the Alliance.

Trout Unlimited is launching a petition campaign to protect the Upper Colorado River and its tributary, the Fraser River, and the mountain communities, businesses, people and wildlife that depend on them.

DefendTheColorado.org seeks engage advocates for the iconic but threatened rivers. The website allows advocates to sign on to a petition that will be delivered to decision makers before the bureau makes a final decision on the Windy Gap project. That decision is expected in early January.

“The good news is that the Bureau of Reclamation’s Environmental Impact Statement says additional mitigation measures may be added before the agency makes a final decision. That highlights the importance of taking action to stand up for the river now,” Peternell said.

Currently 60 percent of the Upper Colorado is diverted to supply Front Range water users. The Windy Gap proposal, along with a separate Moffat Tunnel water project, could divert as much as 80 percent of the Upper Colorado’s natural flows. According to Trout Unlimited, steps must be taken to protect the rivers including:

• Managing the water supply to keep the rivers cool, clear and healthy.
• Funding to deepen river channels and create streamside shade.
• Monitoring of the rivers’ health and a commitment to take action if needed to protect them.
• Bypassing the Windy Gap dam to reconnect Colorado River and restore river quality.

“The Final Environmental Impact Statement continues to ignore existing problems that will be made much worse by the Windy Gap project,” said Sinjin Eberle, president of Colorado Trout Unlimited.”

The Bureau’s environmental impact statement indicates that the agency will monitor to ensure that mitigation is adequate and will impose additional measures if necessary.

“That’s helpful but needs to be more clearly articulated. Another critical addition is the construction of a bypass around the Windy Gap dam,” Eberle added.

A study released by the Colorado Division of Parks and Wildlife earlier this year shows that entire populations of native fish and the insects they feed on have all but disappeared from the Colorado River below the Windy Gap Reservoir.

The study warns that expansion of the Windy Gap project poses additional threats to the river’s aquatic ecosystems.

The Windy Gap project also impacts the health of Grand Lake.

“Grand Lake was once a pristine lake of dramatic clarity and scenic beauty, but it has become cloudy, weedy and silty because of diversion water pumped into the lake from Shadow Mountain reservoir,” said John Stahl, of the Greater Grand Lake Shoreline Association. “Nothing in the FEIS mitigation plan is helpful in addressing the existing problems, At best it maintains the status quo while more likely creating even bigger problems.”

The DefendTheColorado.org campaign highlights the people who depend on the rivers.

“The Colorado and Fraser rivers aren’t just bodies of water, they are the lifeblood for wildlife, local communities and the state’s recreation economy,” Eberle said. “But many Coloradans are unaware that these rivers are on the brink of collapse because of diversions. DefendTheColorado.org’s purpose is twofold — to raise awareness about the threats facing the Colorado and Fraser and to give people a way to stand up for our rivers.”

Eberle added, “We can’t afford to let these rivers literally go down the drain.”

A new feature of the website called “Voices of the Fraser” profiles local Fraser Valley residents and visitors who speak eloquently about their connection to the Fraser River and the need to preserve healthy flows. Among the individuals profiled are Olympic skier Liz McIntyre, logger Hoppe Southway and landscape artist Karen Vance.

“It would be a shame to see any of these tributaries dry up just for the sake of developing the Front Range,” said Southway in his profile. “It’s the water my children and grandchildren are going to want to see someday, and I hope it’s protected for future generations.”

Visitors to the site also have added their voices about why the river is important to them.

“I have fished and hiked the Fraser and Upper Colorado river regions for over 30 years and am deeply saddened by the degradation of these great watersheds,” a Golden, Colo., resident wrote.

A Bonita Springs, Florida, resident wrote: “I LOVE fishing that stretch of water and find such a simple peace of being in that area. Please don’t mess with such a special place.”

“As a visitor and fisherman to Colorado on a regular basis, my tourist dollars help the local communities,” a resident of Blue Springs, Missouri wrote in the online guest book.

Filed under: Colorado, Environment, rivers, Summit County news, water Tagged: | Bureau of Reclamation, Colorado, Colorado River, Environment, Trout Unlimited, water, Windy Gap firming EIS, Windy Gap firming project