Reconnecting the headwaters of the Colorado through the Windy Gap area is something TU sees as critical.
Colorado Headwaters Connectivity Project To Receive Funding
February, 2019 Update
In a recent, wonderful development, funding has been appropriated for this project!A project is underway to reconnect portions of the Upper Colorado at the Windy Gap Reservoir and nearby areas. The Windy Gap Dam area of the Colorado and Fraser rivers in the vicinity have suffered over the years from the impacts of the dam, weirs and the Granby Diversion. The combined impact of the present structures has been to prevent the normal movement of fish and other aquatic life in the area. Another result has been the "armoring" of the river bed below Windy Gap Dam, resulting in what amounts to a dead zone below the dam.
On August 15, 2018, a Public Scoping Open House for the Colorado River Headwaters Connectivity Project was held in Granby. The meeting was well-publicized and open to everyone. About 15 interested people attended the informative meeting. Most attendees were stakeholders with a serious interest in the proposed process. At the meeting, they had an opportunity to share their thoughts about the proposed Windy Gap by-pass and other issues impacting connectivity on the upper Colorado River. TU strongly supports the proposed Windy Gap By-Pass and improvements to the Fraser River and is one of the sponsors of the project. Although there were questions and concerns expressed, everyone in the room seemed enthusiastic about the proposal. There was some concern about "the Devil being in the details" but the tone of the crowd was optimistic.
This was the first in a series of expected local meetings about the Colorado River Headwaters Connectivity Project. If you were unable to be at the meeting, you can still express your thoughts. There will be future opportunities for comment as the plan evolves as well.
An in-depth article about the meeting, including a history of the Windy Gap project, was published in the August 24, 2018 Winter Park Times. To read the entire article, click here for a link to the paper online.
For more information about the meeting, click here.
In a concerning development, a Front Range environmental group has come out against reconnecting this portion of the upper Colorado. They've announced a lawsuit intended to stop these proposed improvements to the health of the river. Their opinion appears to be that anything allowing diversion of water from the Colorado is unacceptable, even if that water is owned by an entity with a clearly established right to that water. Trout Unlimited (and everyone at the Scoping Meeting) knows that the some of the river's water is owned by the diverters and that water will be diverted. TU and most others believe that conversation with the entities who own the water will ultimately be better for the river than litigation we believe is doomed to fail. At TU, we'd love to have more water in our rivers but we acknowledge reality: A substantial portion of the water has been sold and will be diverted. Our goal is to work with the diverters, government entities, irrigators and other stakeholders to make the best of the real-world situation. Projects like this will quickly have a positive impact on the health of the river. Never-ending litigation won't help the river. We're disappointed that we need to work to save the Colorado from Save The Colorado and other non-local groups.