While focus has been on the issue of water, the more important issue that has emerged is the potential loss of one of Colorado's most important recreational assets, namely the upper Colorado River.
Back in January, 1998 we began meetings between CDOW, landowners and the Northern Colorado Water Conservancy District to try to mitigate a problem resulting from Windy Gap. At that time we were faced with the extinction of the Colorado River's Rainbow trout due to Whirling Disease. Through scientific sampling we established that Windy Gap served as the primary incubator for Whirling Disease. All parties were cooperating to try to mitigate the problem. Over the next two years we concluded that the best alternative would be to build a bypass around Windy Gap Reservoir, thereby taking Windy Gap offline and reestablishing the river bed. NCWCD would still be able to utilize Windy Gap without modification or interruption. NCWCD proposed an Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) between CDOW and the Municipal Subdistrict while their engineers did their own research, prepared plans and cost estimates. We were all in agreement that this was a good solution, however, NCWCD felt that they should not be solely responsible for the entire cost which was estimated to be $4.9M. At about this time 9/11 happened and with it the potential for outside funding for this project evaporated.
We did not know at the time how much additional damage was occurring to the river as a result of Windy Gap. In 2002 the Fish Census in the Kemp Breeze section registered a count of 118 Brown Trout over 14" per acre, by 2007 the count was down to 19 Brown Trout per acre. Brown Trout are tough fish and it takes a lot to get rid of them. The process of cementation taking place in the riverbed as a result of fine particle discharge from Windy Gap has been converting the Colorado River into the equivalent of a concrete channel. The subaquatic habitat that would support healthy bug life between Kremmling and Windy Gap has been severely degraded. We have seen the disappearance of the magnificent Colorado River Rainbows, Sculpin, Stoneflies, seven species of Mayflies and the Brown Trout are hanging on for dear life.
None of this was anticipated in the original EIS for the construction of Windy Gap back in 1983. It is on this Commission to do what it can, to try to fix past transgressions when they present themselves. As part of any agreement between any of the Water providers, Windy Gap needs to taken offline and the bypass built so that the process of restoring the river can begin.
