Please show your support for the Yampa River and the City of Steamboat Springs' boating park.
The Colorado Water Conservation Board (CWCB) will be in Steamboat Springs next week (Monday - Wednesday 24th-26th) and will be hosting the City of Steamboat Springs' Recreational In-channel Diversion (RICD) debate at the Steamboat Grand on Wed. 26th. The debate will be from 8-6 with public comment being accepted from 12:20-1:15 and 4:30-5:30.
It is extremely important for the entire boating community to show their colors in supporting this RICD. As with the other Colorado RICD debates, the CWCB is again in dire opposition of this water right application, claiming that the City of Steamboat is asking for much more water than it should be. Their definition of a minimum flow for a reasonable recreational experience is 350 cfs at a maximum, and as we all know, at the Yampa River boating park, flows of 350 are good for tubing, not kayaking.
The Citys RICD application is very reasonable, and it outlines specific flows for certain dates and at its highest, the City is asking for a 1,700 cfs water right from June 1-15th which is a reasonable request for the intended purposes of the boating park (C & D holes).
There is a large group of opponents to this RICD and they seem to be much more united than in the Golden, Vail, Breckenridge and Gunnison cases. Our local support will be strong but we need others, those outside this Valley, to support the Steamboat RICD. Attending next Wednesdays meeting would of course be best, but if you cannot attend, please send your public comment via email to the CWCB, via the contact us button at their website
www.cwcb.state.co.us. If you would CC me at kentv@blueskywest, I will print out the comment and hand it in directly to the CWCB on the 26th.
Let them know that you support the City of Steamboats RICD application and believe that the flows requested by the City are a minimum amount of water to create a reasonable recreational experience that you believe was intended by the building of the Steamboat boating park. Other important points to consider are that Steamboats boating course is important to Steamboats quality of life and economy and that you would be forced to travel to other areas if this RICD application is turned down.
Thanks for your time and your support of the Yampa River.
Kent Vertrees
Friends of the Yampa
Blue Sky West
kentv@blueskywest.com
970-871-4260
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