Boulder Flycasters & CTU South Boulder Creek Project

1. Boulder Flycasters & CTU South Boulder Creek Project Presented to the City of Boulder Water Resources Advisory Board Monday, August 21, 2006 • Project presentation • South Boulder Creek virtual tour • Supporting studies and documents

2. Boulder Flycasters & CTU Long Standing Support of South Boulder Creek • 1990-95: Completed habitat improvements along the SBC trail in conjunction with Trout Unlimited, the City of Boulder and DOW. • 1997-99: Boulder Flycasters & CTU attended the public hearing on Gross re-licensing and lobbied for environmental considerations • Negotiated $250k in SBC habitat improvements above Gross Reservoir • Recently renegotiated to allocate $125k below Gross • 2003: Organized the SBC Committee to investigate options for increasing minimum winter flows • Contracted Hydrosphere Inc. to update a 1996 report recommending in-stream exchange and structural improvement opportunities • 2004: Conducted the SBC Watershed Symposium

3. 2004 SBC Symposium • Goals • Review opportunities for cooperative agreements between SBC water stakeholders to achieve and maintain a minimum stream flows of 7cfs or greater throughout the year. • Participants • Guest Key Note Speaker, David Getches, Dean, University of Colorado School of Law • Symposium Facilitator, Larry Mac Donnell, Attorney, Porzak, Browning & Bushong • Denver Water Department • Marc Waage, Manager of Raw Water Supply • Don Kennedy, Water Resource Planner • Travis Bray, Water Resource Planner • Boulder Utilities, Carol Ellinghouse, Director of Public Works • Curry Rosato, Water Specialist • City of Lafayette, Doug Short, Public Works Director • Bruce Kroeker, Water Rights Consulting Engineer • Bradley Dallam, Civil Engineer III • Dan Mathes, Water Resource Engineer • City of Louisville, Thomas Phare, Director of Public Works • District 6 Water Commissioner, Robert Carlson • Boyd Sheets, staff member • Boulder Mountain Parks & Open Space • Bob Crifasi, Water Resource Specialist • Don Domico, Wetland and Riparian Ecologist • Xcel Energy, Randy Rhodes, Water Coordinator & Resource Planning Manager • Boulder County, Pete Conovitz, Water Resource Specialist • Trout Unlimited • Boulder Flycasters President Lloyd Brady and numerous BFC board members. • Colorado Trout Unlimited Executive Director David Nickum staff members • Colorado Trout Unlimited President Sharon Lance

4. 2004 SBC Symposium • ConclusionsSeveral Hydrosphere recommendations had merit for implementation or further study. • Lafayette closure of Marshall WTP/Lafayette Pipeline and delaying diversion of winter borrowing program water to Baseline Reservoir • Release water from Barker to SBC for ISF purposes • Would require a new pipeline from Kossler to SBC via Wood Gulch • Recapture released water in Wittemeyer Ponds • Would require lining of the ponds for additional storage capability • Exchange from Wittemeyer to Barker • Xcel to allow for seasonal storage of Valmont supplies in Gross, with fall/winter delivery • Boulder Open Space to acquire appropriate SBC water rights for ISF purposes (could be a joint acquisition with Lafayette) • Lafayette pipeline @ 75thSt. pump-over highlighted concerns over water quality and transmission losses. • Denver Water was not receptive to discussions concerning permanent allocation of the Boulder environmental pool in Gross Reservoir

5. 2004 SBC Symposium • Results • 1st step in bringing together all key SBC stakeholders to discuss common interests in SBC watershed management • Winter 2005 conducted a walk-a-bout inspection of SBC diversions for leakage with Boulder & Lafayette • Lafayette has changed its winter borrowing diversion from the MWTP pipe line to in stream transmission. (10/15 to 4/1) A gain of 2-3 cfs from Community Ditch to Baseline • Multiple discussions with Boulder Utilities & Xcel Energy trying to find Valmont winter exchange capability • Developed a test plan to add CBT water to the Gross Environmental Pool in the fall of 2006 for winter flow study • No exchange potential so far this season to complete this effort • Continued work to modify diversion structures for fish passage. • Completed Shearer in 2000, South Boulder Canyon in 2006, McGinn planned for 2007, Good-Hue next on the radar

6. Our efforts to date have not been enough Pictures taken on SBC in the fall of 2005 between South Boulder Rd. & Baseline Rd.

7. Symposium Requests for Action • Boulder Utilities • Boulder Mountain Parks & Open Space • Xcel Energy • City of Lafayette • Denver Water

8. Boulder Utilities • Release water from Barker to SBC for ISF purposes (would require a new pipeline from Kossler to SBC) • We request the WRAB to recommend that city staff study this option and propose an implementation plan. • Recapture released water in Wittemeyer Ponds (would require lining) • We request the WRAB recommend city staff study the lining of Wittemeyer ponds. • Exchange from Wittemeyer to Barker • Allow Lafayette to exchange from Goose Haven to 75th Street against ISF releases

9. Boulder Open Space • Acquire appropriate SBC water rights for ISF purposes (could be a joint acquisition with Lafayette) • We request WRAB help increase council and city staff awareness of the importance of water acquisition for ISF • Work with Lafayette to eliminate fall/winter season losses at ditch headgates • SBC stream channel improvements

10. Summary of Requests Water Resources Advisory Board • We request WRAB’s support for the proposed SBC project • Further request the board to take the following actions: • Recommend Boulder Utilities staff evaluate the Wood Gulch/Kossler option diverting Barker Reservoir water to SBC for wintertime flow enhancement • As part of this evaluation, we recommend staff investigate the lining of Wittemeyer ponds. • Creating the ability to recapture water released for in stream flow enhancement, and uses of water stored in these ponds including exchanges • That WRAB help to increase council and city staff awareness of the importance of water acquisition for ISF

11. Boulder Flycasters & Colorado TU Commitments • Continued public support of Boulder watershed in stream flows through collaborative work with other watershed stakeholders. • CTU support of initiatives requiring CWCB and water court approvals • Participation in fund raising and grant proposals to fund SBC minimum flow initiatives