HomeMy WebLinkAboutresolution.council.011-87 CI[i:~' C(')U:,;CiL OF T}i)~ CiTY O? ?~S?ENr COLORADO
P~I,~ D TIIE
BOhRD OF COUNTY CO[,3~ii(SS!ONI;i~S O?
~-,II.,~ COUIqTY~ cole[~U~DO
PIT"' ' n
WHEREAS, tt~e City Council of Aspeut Colorado, a Colorado t!ome-
Ru].e City, and the Board of County Commissioners'of Pitkin
County, Colorado, a Colorado ttome-Rule Cov~.ty, have actively
participated in the neSotiations, discuss:,ions a:~d public
pursuant to the First Round S~les and Second Round na~otiatio~s
for sale of water from Ruedi Reservoir by the U.S. Bureau of
Reclamation~ and
WI]ER~;ASr all parties to these negotiations and discussions have
developed an operational plan governin~ releases pursuant
First Round Sales and a Preferred Operational Alterr~ative
pursuant to Second Round Sales, both of which wou].d preserve and
protect the economic, aquatic and recreational values associated
with the use of Ruedi Reservoir and the Fryingpan River, and
~EREASr the Bureau of Recitation adopted that operational plan
and that preferred Alternative based on substantial factual
evidence, extensive public process and a clear understandinrJ of
the economic importance of recreational use of the Fryingpan
River and Ruedi Reservoir to the Roarin~ Fork Valley, and
WHEREASr prior to implementincj those operational plans and those
Second-Round Sales, the Bureau of Reclamation entered into
consultations with the U.S. Eish and Wildlife Service pursuant to
Section 7 of the Endan. gered s~cies Act, and
WHEREAS, those consultations and related negotiations with other
parties have led to the issuance of a Draft Biological opinion,
a n d
WHiO:~'iAS, ira]2]crack-ration of the Draft Biological opinion may
result in operation~l practices for Ruedi Reservoir contrary' to
those previously adopted, accepted, and ~:el.ied upon by Aspen and
Pit!~J,~. County, and
NItEREP:S, those operai~ional practices for Ruedi Reservoir may
injure the economic~ aquatic, aesthetic, and recreational values
associ~ted with Ruedi Reservoir and the Fryingpan River to the
dei~;iment of the citizens, residents, and guests of Aspen and
Pitkin County, Colorado, and
WHEREAS~ all inte~.~ested parties have been notified of the City
and County's concerns regarding th~s issue by letter dated
.February 13, 1987, and
WHERi-.'AS, The Bureau of Reclamation is currently analyzing the
impacts of supplemental Ruedi releases for endangered species
pursuant to the Draft Biological Opinion and the available
management and mitigation measures for minimizing those impacts,
and
WHEREAS, The Bureau of Reclamation will be issuing a Final
Environmental Impact Statement on Ruedi Round 2 Water Sales which
will identify the impacts of Ruedi Water Sales and endangered
species releases:
'NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF ASPEN,
COLORADO AND THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF PITKIN COUNTY,
COLORADO AS FOI, LOWS:
1) The Bureau of Reclamation is hereby requested to
undertake an analysis of all available data regarding the
potenti~,l :in, pac.:ts of proposed Rnedi Reservoir Re, trod 2 Water Sales
Preferred Alt. erisa'Live wi'kb Co:-~servation Hcasure's, upon the
fisheries~ recreational and power, uses in Ruedi Reservoir and the
Fryingpan River.
2) The analysis referred te above should be made in'
compliance with the National Envi):onmel:'i:al Policy Act ('~NEPA"),
i.e., by updating the Supplemental EIS on Round 2 Nater Sales.
3) Consistent with the policy of the State of Colorado
that water in storage should not be used if alternatives are
locally available, the Bureau of P. eclamation and other parties
should include in the approved program requirements for the
immediate investigation of alternative solutions in the Cameo
area for protection of critical habitat for endangered species.
4) Conservation flows for the protection of endangered
species should be rejected if the Bureau's analysis indicates
that fisheries, recreational, or power .uses in Ruedi Reservoir
and the Fryingpan River are likely to be significantly impaired.
5) If conservation flows are approved and implemented, and
the above-referenced uses are observed to be significantly
impaired,' such conservation flows should be terminated.
6) Our respective staffs are hereby directed to take all
appropriate steps to insure that any operational plans adopted
for Ruedi Reservoir pursuant to water sales, Endangered Species
releases, or for any other purpose are consistent with the
operational guidelines adopted for First Round Water Sales and/or
the Preferred Alternative for Second Round Sales and that those
plans acknowledge and safeguard the recreational, scenic,
N.¥'drob~owor Projec{ and LNe Prylingpan River.
7) The staff is direc:{;,ed to insure, by all legal means,
that any negative impacts to those values noted above are
minimiF, ed through the adoption and implementation of stringent
and effective m~{'iga{-i, on and management techniques.
8) The staff is directed to encourage and partier{pate in
any discussions, meetings., requests for comment or other opportu-
nities for ongoing City and Cour~ty representation and participa-
tion in the making of decisions on future Ruedi management.
APPROVED AND ADOPTED by the City Council of Aspen, Colorado and
the Board of County Commissioners of Pitkin County, Colorado, in
Joint Ses~-~ion this day of , 1987o
ATTEST: CITY OF ASt~EN, COLORADO
PITKIN COUNTY, C~ORADO
ATTEST:
Count7 . ~-~en, Chairman
Board of Eoun~y Commissionors
~PPRO~ED ~S ~ EORM/ ~//
ThOmas Fenton Smith, County Attorney