HomeMy WebLinkAbout981386.tiff Allen D. (Dave) Miller
P.O. Box 567 r,..
Palmer Lake,Colorado 80133
(719)481-2003 • FAX(719)481-3452,_.,
C(__.-
July 15, 1998
Honorable Bruce Babbitt
Secretary of Interior
1849 C. Street, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20240
Subject: Headwater Storage for Western Droughts, Growth, and Endangered Species
Dear Mr. Babbitt:
This letter briefly explains why the Western Headwater Storage Strategy should immediately
replace Department of Interior's Colorado and Platte River Endangered Species Programs:
• Interior's Colorado River plan to restore natural flow conditions for recovery of four
native fish species is not legal under the National Environmental Protection Act (NEPA).
The resulting multi-billion dollar headwater storage losses for Platte, Arkansas, and
Colorado River Basin drought needs were not considered during the economic impact
studies, as required by NEPA.
• The Platte River Endangered Species Agreement between Nebraska, Wyoming, Colorado,
and Interior is also fatally flawed under NEPA, because the region's superior headwater
storage options for augmenting Platte River drought flows were not considered.
• The water-short Platte River is viable today, only because of the drought protection
cushion provided by the farsighted transbasin storage projects of the 1950's and 60's.
Subsequent growth has largely absorbed this cushion, and the stop-gap Platte River
Agreement proposals will worsen the basin's growing drought protection crisis for
endangered and human species.
• Colorado and Wyoming have more than one million acre-feet of undeveloped Colorado
River Compact entitlements that should be stored at high altitude during wet years for
gravity release to rivers on both slopes during the destructive drought cycles;
• Colorado's Gunnison Branch of the Colorado River is by far the region's largest surplus
water source;
• Colorado's proposed 900,000 acre-feet Union Park Headwater Storage Reservoir is
designed to provide regional benefit-cost ratios of more than 20 to 1 from its off-river,
Upper Gunnison site. Union Park's unprecedented storage values are feasible, because of
its high altitude location that can provide multiple use and reuse benefits throughout the
Gunnison, Colorado, Platte, and Arkansas River Basins during the critical drought years.
• Traditional down-river dams are obsolete, because they have limited operational flexibility,
harm river environments, increase regional evaporation losses, concentrate pollutants, and
ct eventually fill with silt;
\ tc.. Pz. e /• �r 4 981386
• Federal agencies and Western states should immediately cooperate with Colorado's Front
Range water providers to construct Union Park for the region's urgent drought, growth,
and endangered species needs on both sides of the Continental Divide.
Thank you for considering Headwater Storage as the unifying strategy to expand Western water
supplies for our human and environmental needs during the 21"Century.
Sincerely,
e 2,A
Dave Miller
Independent Water Planner
ends: 1. U.S. Water News Editorial titled: Headwater Storage could extend Western water
supplies, April 1998.
2. Paper titled: Federal Control of Colorado's Water Future, July 8, 1998.
3. Runoff Graph, showing decreed federal river flow objectives for fish and
recreation are damaging the region's headwater storage potential.
cc: Western governors
Western legislators
Western water providers
a ' fro o E r l- -oa >, U' t .` cc = _rE Et E m >, enq 1
,,�-�� .C y J, (44 as D ai>, ,:, .,s.5 0 0 J y l0a ° -c,
7 y are •O , 044-. 0
—✓ -c a a) 3 .^ t- ^ CI)°- °P) E p Er - o 7 Lrti. w cl)^
MCP -D rrow, 0 0 ,-eta.' > c cbyY ti m m a ca s o -C E E - 3 Go .o •o �. o
_1 a) o o v a) m m .>'� t'- — C c > .O a) p o m c o a w F>- .`v.) ,-
w '@, 0 w cr a) a) .`�n ..7-. _c 4), 03i wa ca mUY .Ea Cy aa) y m a)
IIIII = •, 'O c•V" cm) 6 c. 1:473
ca 0 7 •- t, .] 1...
^p aa)i r>'. .C FT+ ; > o m ro. 3
> d o N c e2 F 00 00..00 C a y o w Y m 3 c c
c. 3• GA y via CL)
U - 'C7 m 3 °Z O j y N F a d^O "d 6
Zial• w aaicc y °' w c"a v y m 3 v 3 e^n'o .p .,. a"i °' m u y y
F " L K cap L +~-, y m y a —3 w L a N 4^ y �" b en m g c ,^, a) en
m d ^ p 3 c o c -o^ 3
71 3 _u 0 E c0 m CU 0 7 E m o `' ^ > . tw. a3) c 'a) o .� .° � ~ ro O -
IrVr „,^ .O A c>a c`p-M0
3 c cp N '' -c �'> aLi y " Q _≥, y Op ''�
IMIWIFSOc L 4. '-O O O Y C al Y N m _
-Jan O 3 Y N a) >, y " >, sca- o 00 a) cp o c am' `° c A y 20
0 'r o c
vo, -o m o �Ya o as up YY a 0 l- c.. :a os co co u 3To y .) o p• ac caw ){\�
43/4 a- m cu a) 'p' C aa)i O u .- 0 G M ^O o a) o o m y R C u00 d �`l
3
. o > .- a) w o c ^ .a cL F,s o a; c, v " 3 -'03 -,-) o
o o c ati
'4.e r,-i 2 Up Ca. cY'a t. ^O b 'O' a) 3 G "w F ^ CYa ti a) cc G.b p Y a)
a e a y a) u w c.. O C i- = 3 ci p p d 3 L y en C )
tit � oA ^ 3 ., w c ^ o o w o m a) cn m 3 c c a, .- m mb
a :3 >, o � `a m m 3 ` w w � a' Y c a� o m Eli ,, ; t. Y .'..
o GY O m t. ti � .- a " m O t. w
�, .--. E 3 a,.c O U a) w > > Y w w. > 'a) Y O a w
�► o �cs > 6aa � � Eyay .` 3 ; Nc � pcw3 >'° n ow
o as to. �a � y 3 o awi o � .� o o ^a° 3 N .La ,D �,o y a) oyo`^ >, o
.31:)
> G Y w e0 p A L 4. c) a) 2' L c8 a) '"c
C F m 5 '-' O m C w
Damp I� :a c _ 7 o co m� tn ' o° c O7.illh c w 3 c3 .� "c0 cn � a
age ;3/44 cce
m c p O C C r.ca Y 0 p> C C. d `� N Ca C a) w N G w �, O C en re
yrVw p '- l- teC K-a cca m i4"4
a. t c > o c c o j,^.-. a C C ^ 7x �+ p u
_1 a^.) w , G ara b p go' p ; OD )`v, d w .a.' .3 Y o -, y.L I 'b O 'C a O t. 'pa 'D L
b 7 w a) Y m >, m - O C a) >, e.' w ca t. A c Y m - C G'p^ c 'c O
p w w a L .- ^ a) a T C) c w Ln > i- O
L Y F- 0 O h ,c en Q) w a a, a coN m a d
'-' , O Y a) c w C 'F"O .4. a) ._ , en O .E G � .O m CD Y ..c W 'b w c')14)
' eay 3 a-, ; a C 'Oa wawa ^m y '7.. w a m `a .\-, F. w 'C U .mc ti '- a G
' ..to
.-- ... ca R a m .O' ,1_ cop a Y C 'aa O a) ^ ?? ^n O E co w en a Cn C Yek, (.,to 0C;
E UPrict ^. c>v o c3 0 � a aa) 3 .m' o G� .c m aY) � F "O ..,,e, NY
^ m ^ CL") a. o c ^y w- p m C Y a) O C) cn 7 m
4. 3 ,..O .g no! gh.. t ?o end 3Cw aapwG3.tit i., �L .Ey w �' d C Cn @<,p. m o c y .: aO -c p m cE0 C " C .� i m aa))
ii. °Y' E d E eno � o _o E c oc ccc o ? — c ' F 7 04 act, o „,
-tri tZie ca0 � ayai) _y'Yo � 2o ^ > E r. 0aaia~ � ^o3mNa EN
c... . .,, , m w m op O X ; u 'D C .a' w a) m O ,o u @ 3 m en a)
= IC•' alip
O hitZt Y CI w > b .C en F.➢ O m tO. 'fl E >, m C ti O.R'i y .9 m O ,
( �, u . 'O' @ m 'C ,— @ 3 Y m c '>, cy ).. a) 0 E w p Y )- 0 aca - co ,-
0 ,,-
r t- c. ,c Tic y a cp ` 7 w u '^.' y .^o a to 7 c w m o ;O.4 «, t., O
0 m a, t. ^ Y r. ... A d cocoa .- w C O, m co Cl ,,t m J0'
w^, O oo m w O F. N 6) m p, a) 1- A 6. Y O m b
O ; C = 3 da "a m L. y m O F O "C L -sea c Y,Ob CU
H • MC O o _o y no7 C al � .� �� G > O 7 w ',�cc. 0 w c c) o .CU0 3 .p
r_ C y w d u 0 cu A^w 7 0 Q 3 0 > N C .aa O �i i c, m
lip t. .- .-.4 -.,9, _
tr cla 4� 3 .� o OF L R w a) Y a) w 4+ > o a F a o ^ O L w C p a) p
en O w,a ct: m a `v u al 'D C o m-d F a O m •� m O w a) a
-C �~ E C F. m m ai
CO cw. F, Y C a 'Ca .E d w FO. O p O E a) w w ;3 0. CI. a
d �1/� 0 p U)) En o 0 'p y �-a, .- is E Cy,3 c�J E O �.., C ) t,; C) C cc
V�j� y o w o w o ca o c a) .- ^o
� `- ccV 2 7 0 iriz w 443 0 3 i -.3 o, cCabw,p 7 . y a`) aY) E>, f.m t>. g u cYa 'C p ')
�'. ^ w G w 7 d m to. 1 .. c u c 6 ai t. 0 'C 0 m o a) c=�•. 3 .b o C0
C ...., Q -- pG O' N t 'C ~ .a `' w G. aa) .E c >m 0 a-C '`' ^ w a) •a F. o eY' 'O'2
-C �,.. •., '% ca e0= a w ; C w o 0 'O w G y F, t-7 m en C w E C O E,g , m ❑ w
�r.$ • con � .E ° mow. -al m ,L E >, a`, oy c 3 � Yo c 7 co " ao m
44 -'^•�.- :3 3 3 E En °) ; o c y a A o E 0 m a) o a 3 ''Y-., w 0 C G Fw„
C F pF-- o o m a a)Y m E w a) b -ca ^ a F. •-- a) C o>>
...;< e an o c'- a �' C- octal • O. E dco cu G. G E ez w o m Y�bD -• .aa aa)) t-
a) .'a `- t. b o d a) ," . <u, 7 -, 'Ca w p 'C a too C U p a a)
... • r. o Oy a
c.; oAa E re m o G c o w :3 E = w w o pt... •- E o cY w d-.... v� .� iv wYmm $) aa coda cmowroC � YYw ;camp -cc
C . . .., ° - 3 m .- cn..' ?:). o E ena d w m c. � 13 a; o 644 _E:). 4.) cn
m > d 3 ° E > .� L-3 L E °0m .-° `o a) � a) ro ^ ,0 ms- c of �`a
v -le -. a w r_ m w a) 004"..- --ac y .-T. d a c -C C 49 t. 'D y ^
1��j c� w � � 'a� � � om '� � N '7c0 - a) 3 > c - 0-on0EL.
I
Millr„ •-. � -.-' Aa .2 3 wa o E maE o c m0 mYa r. o d at ° r. ,-, GY
"'� C,K- _ C .- u O m 'ti a) C F. '-' Y '3 a +' a) , >L cp G a a) o
`� y e ti r. E 3 ami m E a o c«. Y .— v Co 300" O Y a) la p t. -o >, c
12 . tt
"E2 O p,'Y^ A 0 t .�" F. .E ..O' .E '• .� ca Ea.. w y C y
F G a, 3 x L F, Y 7 a) O o L c '>^ O L C C g m O
^ @ c... O 4. N a) Y O ° X a - GC) L' c a) O E O m
Ai m O Y ^ a G w a a) Y Y G w ^O a) E 'O ,— c.. c' C 3 E E
July 8, 1998
Federal Control of Colorado's Water Future
Since the Two Forks Dam debacle,Colorado's water policy makers have withdrawn into a deep anti-development funk.
Federal agencies have exploited this leadership vacuum with landmark policy changes that are destroying Colorado's water
future. For example:
• Endangered Fish—The June 29th Denver Post article,"Impasse imperils water supply,"gives a good account of how
Colorado water managers are now concerned the federal program to recover Colorado River endangered fish will
eventually flush Colorado's future to California. Unfortunately,this article failed to point out that Colorado formally
agreed to give its most storable headwaters to this federal program in 1995. This agreement was made without a
detailed study of the multi-billion dollar environmental and economic impacts on Colorado's water-short Platte and
Arkansas River Basins, as required by the National Environmental Protection Act.
Colorado's rationale for collaborating with the feds was based on blackmail. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
threatened to stop further development of Colorado's unused legal share of the Colorado River, if Colorado did not
permanently commit its wet-year runoff to the four endangered fish species.
Colorado water leaders are now beginning to realize these currently wasted headwaters must be stored at high altitude
to expand regional drought and growth supplies for both slopes. Unless soon reversed,this major water policy blunder
will haunt Colorado throughout the 21"Century and beyond.
• Federal Hydropower vs. State Rights—Until recently, U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (USBR)hydropower rights were
subordinate to the rights of western states to store and use their respective 1922 Colorado River Compact entitlements,
as approved by Congress. Colorado is currently using about 2 million acre-feet of its 3 million acre-feet share of the
Colorado River.
Unfortunately, Colorado's current administration is supporting new federal claims in Gunnison Water Court that give
federal hydropower operations at Blue Mesa Reservoir priority over the proposed Union Park Headwater Storage
Project. As a result,this West Slope court recently ruled Colorado's largest untapped water source is overappropriated
and unavailable for East Slope drought and growth needs. If the vast surpluses of the Gunnison Branch of the Colorado
River can not be stored and used,how could Colorado ever develop its renewable interstate compact waters? All
transbasin diversions to the Front Range are currently from Colorado River Mainstem tributaries.
Hopefully,Colorado's Supreme Court will soon reverse this unholy federal-Colorado alliance against Union Park. If it
does, Colorado can develop the world's most efficient water conservation project for both slopes. Union Park's
unprecedented drought and growth benefits for Colorado's four major rivers can provide benefit-cost ratios of more
than 20 to 1. Most western reservoirs were built with benefit-cost expectations in the 2 to 1 range.
• Taylor Park Reservoir Refill Decree—Gunnison and Colorado water officials recently collaborated to give federal
officials the unprecedented decreed right to fill and drain Taylor Park Reservoir two times in any given water year. The
stated purposes was to improve fishery and recreation conditions for the Taylor River. However,the real purpose is to
flush up to 90,000 acre-feet down river,so these wet-year runoffs can not be pumped into Union Park Reservoir for
gravity release to both slopes when needed during multi-year droughts.
A technical review of this federal refill decree would quickly expose it is as a hydrologic and legal hoax. These wasted
flood waters would be worth many billions of dollars for Colorado's water using public,if saved in Union Park's off-
river headwater site for both slopes.
• Platte and Arkansas River Agreements—The de facto federal-Colorado alliance against storage and use of
Colorado's surplus Gunnison Basin headwaters is forcing Colorado tax payers to spend many millions of dollars on
stop-gap federal directed solutions for Platte and Arkansas River Basin shortages in Nebraska and Kansas. Higher
Front Range return flows from Union Park's drought releases will automatically eliminate these shortages,without any
cost to Colorado taxpayers.
In view of these landmark federal-Colorado threats to Colorado's water future,Front Range water providers must
immediately unite to counter these policies and develop the innovative Union Park Headwater Storage Project. With a
cooperative Headwater Storage Strategy, Colorado can soon rescue itself from several years of political infighting and water
policy neglect.
40414
Dave Miller
Independent Water Planner
P.O. Box 567
Palmer Lake,CO 80133
(719)481-2003, Fax(719)481-3452
19 8l 3 Vo
Q %/,/,_A\y I I
o /// \` I 0
U) r- /// AVv I I
Z < Err ///..\ \!\\N, I I
O /\\,..AVv
o //,,/,...\\\\ I Z
V1 CC LO '/\,. `y I I I
�/////////\ V\\\ A III I
Q I ,/////,//aa ///vAA +' <aA I I I
Oco
J y!// q) /$o '%�\A C ,$o I i I I
O1 \// 111//°.0. //N O o. ' Ia U)
Q r //// 0/./ n //.\y a 6 c ' o f
/////c%)///c41; ,/ > - \ C Id
L.L /'/// / / > > //1 . U \ E j .\ L N I I
o 0Z //// / L //\N' 0v xe ` avi EI Q
\\\, //LS o /\\ v o= 1O ' z I
LL m /\//// / /1_ /v ,y s venom v F E
///, //Tall /v v • L C \ 10 c
/, � � o U � ICI I �
L_ cf) Q ////, 5 \.E o,/ \ \Vv E E �`. 3
O 0 D ////, /,ono //C ,A� aoa y o g I
J Z //\\iO/y _o // \V C N°o ` I I I E
Z z ////,ti';/: s@ // Ay ° I I I
/////v a//7 y\ v
Q w I
LL w 0 ' ////////\\\/ , ` v .AV D 1 I I -5
z \ .
Q Q /\ ,.AV III Q
/„7„;yV` I
o ¢ '//, AV` I
Z o 0 '�/,V' III I
Z w '//�yv: I I I
Q o cn 7///-\ \H`
0 ///- \VH i I
cn "///\\\ II
�, ///`\\\
///` I.A\ I
O O O O O O O O O O
o LO O Ln o Ln O in o in
Ln Ti- P ) Imo) N N r-
GNO03S 2:13d 133J 318(10
Hello