Upper Colorado River an ‘Ecosystem on the Brink,’ says TU

Conservation Coalition Calls for Mitigation Measures in Moffat Tunnel DEIS

(Denver) – Trout Unlimited, the Colorado Environmental Coalition and a broad group of conservation organizations warned today that a proposal to divert more water from a tributary of the upper Colorado River poses a serious risk to the ecological health of the river system.

“Multiple water diversions have pushed the Fraser River to the brink of collapse,” said Kirk Klancke, President of the Colorado Headwaters Chapter of TU, based in Grand County. “This is a river on life support.”

At present, Denver Water’s Moffat Tunnel and other diversions take about 60 percent of the Fraser’s stream flow. The Moffat pipeline carries most of it under the Continental Divide to supply water for the Denver metro area. Under a proposed expansion of the Moffat tunnel pipeline, Denver would take even more of the river’s native flows.

In 2005, the Fraser was listed as one of the most endangered rivers in America by American Rivers, a national conservation group.

The statement from TU and the Colorado Environmental Coalition came in response to the Friday release of the draft environmental impact statement for the Moffat Tunnel proposal—the first step in a public review of the project by the Army Corps of Engineers.

“We are looking forward to digging deeper into the DEIS, and are hopeful that we can have a substantive conversation with Denver Water in the coming months about how we can ensure our resources are protected,” said Becky Long of Colorado Environmental Coalition.

Looking ahead, the conservation groups identified several broad environmental goals that should be included in the project’s mitigation plan, including:

--Adequate baseline flows in the Fraser throughout the year to sustain fisheries and recreation.

--Sustained peak flows at key times of the year to mimic a natural flow regime and ensure the health and resilience of the river ecosystem.

--Aggressive urban water conservation and efficiency measures to save more water, such as incentives for homeowners to replace Kentucky bluegrass with drought-tolerant landscaping. More than half of residential water use goes to watering lawns.

--Ongoing monitoring of the river’s health and a mitigation plan with the flexibility to adapt to changing conditions. 

“We have already met with Denver Water’s staff, and they seem open to discussing some of these concepts,” said Mely Whiting, Legal Counsel for TU’s Colorado Water Project.  “We hope the Denver Water Board seizes this opportunity to create a legacy, where water development and environmental protections can go hand in hand.”

“Front Range residents must recognize the connection between our water use and the health of our rivers and streams, fisheries and wildlife habitat,” said David Nickum, executive director of Colorado Trout Unlimited. “We can’t continue to take and take from these rivers without accounting for our impacts. The glass is not even half full—it’s almost drained dry.”

Contact:

Mely Whiting, (720) 470-4758

David Nickum, (303) 440-2937, x 101

Kirk Klancke, (970) 531-2199

Trout Unlimited is Trout Unlimited is the nation’s largest coldwater conservation organization, with 140,000 members dedicated to conserving, protecting, and restoring North America’s trout and salmon fisheries and their watersheds.