In 2004, the South Platte Protection Plan (SPPP) was adopted by the US Forest Service as a local alternative to Wild and Scenic Designation for the South Platte River from Elevenmile Dam to Strontia Springs and its North Fork below Bailey. The SPPP was the result of years of negotiation among water users, local governments, and conservation interests, including Trout Unlimited. Key elements of the plan include:
A streamflow management plan with minimum flow commitments (which have never been violated in the plan’s 20 years) and optimal flow targets.
Creation of a $1 million endowment fund to support projects benefiting the river’s outstandingly remarkable values, including fisheries, wildlife, recreation, and historical significance. Through the South Platte Enhancement Board, more than $1 million in grants have been awarded for projects.
A Forest Plan amendment setting land management standards intended to protect habitat along the river corridor on the Pike National Forest.
The creation of the watershed protection partnership, now known as the Coalition for the Upper South Platte, which has been vital in addressing wildfire impacts on the watershed and promoting on-the-ground improvement projects.
A thorny issue in negotiating the SPPP was the question of Two Forks Dam. While the EPA had vetoed the proposed reservoir in 1991, Denver Water still holds a Right of Way for the land that would be occupied by a smaller version of the project at the North Fork/Mainstem confluence. As part of the SPPP, Denver Water agreed to a 20-year moratorium on any permitting efforts to advance development of that right of way, as well as permanently relinquishing its conditional water rights for what would have been the larger version of Two Forks (stretching into Cheesman Canyon).
Under the moratorium, Denver Water aimed to work with other interests to pursue alternative water supply projects that could achieve yields equivalent to those projected under Two Forks and meet future water demands for the Denver area. Some efforts are advancing, notably the expansion of Gross Reservoir, a concept previously proposed by environmental stakeholders as an alternative to Two Forks. However, progress has been slower than anticipated when the SPPP was adopted. The moratorium was set to expire in June of this year.
Fortunately, the Denver Water Board decided at its June 12 meeting to extend the moratorium for an additional ten years. In its resolution, the Board also recommitted to the collaborative SPPP framework and to continued efforts on water supply alternatives to a Two Forks Dam and Reservoir. This further defers any threat of development efforts for Two Forks, and if adequate progress can be made on alternatives, Denver Water will consider permanently abandoning the Two Forks Right of Way.
Trout Unlimited was gratified to see Denver Water reaffirm its commitment to collaboration in water management and to seeking more environmentally sound alternatives to the extremely damaging Two Forks Dam proposal. Trout in the South Platte and the anglers that enjoy them can breathe a sigh of relief, knowing that Denver Water will continue to work with partners under the SPPP to maintain the South Platte’s fishery values while continuing to deliver needed water to the Denver metro area.
