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
Boulder Flycasters & CTU Long Standing
Support of South Boulder Creek
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1990-95: Completed habitat improvements along the SBC trail
in conjunction with Trout Unlimited, the City of Boulder and
DOW.
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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
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2003: Organized the SBC Committee to investigate options for
increasing minimum winter flows
 Contracted Hydrosphere Inc. to update a 1996 report recommending instream exchange and structural improvement opportunities
 2004: Conducted the SBC Watershed Symposium
2004 SBC Symposium
Goals
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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
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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
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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
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Curry Rosato, Water Specialist
City of Lafayette, Doug Short, Public Works Director
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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
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Boyd Sheets, staff member
Boulder Mountain Parks & Open Space
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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
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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
2004 SBC Symposium
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Conclusions
Several Hydrosphere recommendations had merit for
implementation or further study.
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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
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Would require a new pipeline from Kossler to SBC via Wood Gulch
Recapture released water in Wittemeyer Ponds
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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
2004 SBC Symposium
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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
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Developed a test plan to add CBT water to the Gross Environmental
Pool in the fall of 2006 for winter flow study
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No exchange potential so far this season to complete this effort
 Continued work to modify diversion structures for fish
passage.
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Completed Shearer in 2000, South Boulder Canyon in 2006,
McGinn planned for 2007, Good-Hue next on the radar
Our efforts to date have not been enough
Pictures taken on SBC in the
fall of 2005 between South
Boulder Rd. & Baseline Rd.
Symposium Requests for Action
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Boulder Utilities
Boulder Mountain Parks & Open Space
Xcel Energy
City of Lafayette
Denver Water
Boulder Utilities
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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.
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Recapture released water in Wittemeyer Ponds
(would require lining)
 We request the WRAB recommend city staff study the lining of
Wittemeyer ponds.
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Exchange from Wittemeyer to Barker
Allow Lafayette to exchange from Goose Haven
to 75th Street against ISF releases
Boulder Open Space
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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
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Work with Lafayette to eliminate fall/winter
season losses at ditch headgates
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SBC stream channel improvements
Summary of Requests
Water Resources Advisory Board
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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
Boulder Flycasters & Colorado TU
Commitments
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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