Timeline of events
History of the Rio Grande Cooperative Project
Recognizing the Need
Recognition of the importance of addressing the environmental and recreational needs of the Rio Grande dates to at least 2001 and is documented in the Rio Grande Study, funded by the Colorado Water Conservation Board (CWCB). The study clearly acknowledged the need for environmental provisions in reservoir operations. This need was further documented in the 2007 SLV Irrigation District’s Rio Grande Strategic Plan Core Principles, “all major stakeholders must be included in the long-term solutions to improve the health of the Rio Grande in Colorado.” “Watershed restoration practices must consider the agricultural and recreational economies that derive their existence from the river,” and in the Strategic Plan Vision: “stakeholders work cooperatively to ensure sustainable flows for sediment transport, native riparian vegetation, aquatic and wildlife habitat….enhances and sustains the aesthetic and recreational values of the residents and visitors to the watershed.”
After funds were secured in 2012 to renovate the reservoir, the CWCB, the San Luis Valley Irrigation District, and various Colorado water plans have repeatedly taken credit for the “new era of water management” supposedly achieved with the promised multi-purpose operation of the renovated Rio Grande Reservoir dam - naming the renovation effort “The Rio Grande Cooperative Project.”
For example, in 2016 the CWCB produced a video (https://vimeo.com/129489798) which describes how the restoration effort was funded predicated on operating the reservoir as a multi-purpose facility.
When interviewed in 2016 for the Book, Water and Agriculture in Colorado and the American West, SLV Irrigation District Superintendent, Travis Smith, responds “No Way” when asked if the District would have received the money to mend their dam without including multiple users as integral parts of the project.
The SLV Irrigation District Board minutes from March 21-22, 2018 state “Phase 2B consists primarily of constructing new outlet works and includes …….twin 84-inch fixed cone valves and a 36-inch low flow valves to provide for flow of 30 to 1600 cfs and emergency release flows up to 2,500 cfs."
July 2021 – The Rio Grande dam construction was accepted by the Dam Safety Group.
September 2021 – Final invoices received by the CWCB bringing Phase II expenditures to $25 million. The Rio Grande Cooperative Project is now “complete.”
December 21, 2022 - Hinsdale County Commission Meeting. Public acknowledgement for the first time that the reservoir dam outlets cannot function during winter conditions from November 1st to April 1st – the same practice the Irrigation District had employed for years to store irrigation water in the reservoir.
12 Years of Unmet Promises (a partial list)
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November 2011 - The CWCB votes to recommend to the Colorado General Assembly that they authorize $30 million for the Rio Grande Cooperative Project. “The overall Project would maximize the beneficial use of Colorado’s share of water under the Compact and provide a reregulation of flows to better meet long-term recreational and environmental needs…”
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August 23, 2012 - Rio Grande Reservoir’s 100th Anniversary. Participants were told by the SLV Irrigation District Superintendent that “the era of single purpose dams is over” and that the renovated dam would allow for environmental and recreational provisions that provide “not just minimum flows but optimal flows.”
2012 to 2018 - Phone calls and letters to congressional representatives, the Colorado Division of Natural Resources and the San Luis Valley Irrigation District fail to identify any parties responsible for or knowledgeable of any effort to develop recreational provisions for the Rio Grande.
May 07, 2018 - Rob Phillips, the operator of the Rio Grande Reservoir dam, addresses the Mineral County Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) on the status of renovation work at the Rio Grande Reservoir. During this discussion Mr. Phillips mentioned that provisions were called for in the rehabilitation grant to protect downstream recreational and wildlife assets during both construction and normal operations.
May 10, 2018 - Creede residents, Jim Loud and Jan Crawford, send a letter to Mr. Phillips asking where they could find the specifics of the provisions he mentioned at the May 7 BOCC meeting. “Could you provide a link or otherwise point us in the right direction?” No response was received.
July/August 2018 - Loud and Crawford reached Mr. Phillips by phone and were told that, although someone should probably be working on provisions, he wasn’t involved and didn’t know who was.
September 18-19, 2019 - CWCB Board Meeting
AGENDA ITEM: 21. Rio Grande Reservoir Rehabilitation Project. “The Cooperative Project received a funding authorization of $30 million from the General Assembly in the 2012 Projects Bill (SB12S-002) and an increase in authorization to $40 million in the 2017 (HB17-1248). The Cooperative Project’s objective was to “develop a partnership between the State and the San Luis Valley Irrigation District to achieve multiple benefits through coordination of the Reservoir’s releases to enhance the environment; provide recreational flows; increase supplies and utilize the State’s share of Rio Grande water while assuring Compact compliance.”
In 2020 the Rio Grande Stream Management Plan was formulated to, among other things, establish “target flows” for the Rio Grande by section. Stated objectives of the plan included, “Maintain and build on the coalition of community partners engaged in stream management planning through frequent and robust stakeholder engagement throughout the project.” None of these objectives, including meeting target stream flows, had materialized as of May 2024 and the reservoir had once again completely shut off all water to the Rio Grande from November to April despite the stated target winter minimum of 31 cubic feet per second. As of September 2024 there has been no attempt to engage stakeholders in planning stream management as discussed above.
July 2020 - “The Rio Grande Reservoir Rehabilitation Project was successfully completed as scheduled in July of 2020.” Per SLV Irrigation District homepage. “The San Luis Valley Irrigation District gives a very special thank you to the following for their great work and support: General Contractor: Moltz Civil, LLC; Tunnel Contractor: Harrison Western; Engineers: Deere and Ault.”
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July 28, 2020 - Linda Bassi, Colorado Water Conservation Board (CWCB) responds to an e-mail from Jim Loud soliciting information on recreational provisions and states, “At the August 3rd meeting we will be discussing changes to the Instream Flow Plan Program Rules” to address his specific questions. Linda suggested, however, “a separate meeting might be more effective.”
August 4, 2020 - The Mineral County Administrator writes Linda Bassi asking for a working meeting with the Mineral County Commissioners and various recreational stakeholders to address the promised provisions.
August 2020 - Ms. Bassi (CWCB) replies to the Mineral County Administrator stating they probably wouldn’t be ready to discuss provisions until sometime in September.
Sept. 22, 2020 - Ms. Bassi e-mails Mineral County that “after meeting with staff members of my agency and Colorado Parks and Wildlife and with Heather Dutton, CWCB Board member regarding a meeting with the Mineral County Commissioners to discuss the provision issues that Mr. Loud and others have raised stating, “we don’t believe it will be feasible to have such a discussion at the September 30 County Commissioners’ meeting, but intend to follow up with you all soon.”
October 02, 2020 - Heather Dutton (CWCB) writes to Mineral County “now that the construction is complete at the reservoir, one of the final actions of the project is the finalization of cooperative agreements with partners regarding how we can work as a community of water managers and users to coordinate releases from the reservoir to meet multiple needs…we will be in touch when we have more concrete information….”
March 02, 2021 - Mineral County Administrator e-mails Ms. Bassi with cc. to Dutton asking for a meeting with the BOCC to discuss recreational provisions “before spring runoff.” No such meeting was forthcoming and in November of 2021 Jim Loud addressed the Mineral County BOCC asking that they request specifics on provision development progress. The County Administrator stated she had communicated with Kevin Terry of Trout Unlimited (TU) who had reached out in an attempt to help develop recreational provisions with reservoir operator, Rob Phillips, and that draft provisions would be presented at the March 22, 2022 BOCC meeting. Mr. Loud also informed the BOCC that, despite record heat and low water, the Rio Grande Reservoir had shut off all flow to the river as of November 1st.
March 22, 2022 - The BOCC meeting did not address draft provisions as they were “not ready.”
April 19, 2022 - Kevin Terry (TU) addresses the BOCC regarding potential actions to enhance recreational and environmental assets on the Rio Grande. Mr. Terry noted that specific draft commitments were not yet agreed to with the Irrigation District. Mr. Terry also mentioned that they (he and Rob Phillips) would work on them, but no specific completion dates were provided. The Irrigation District had not reached out to any other recreational or environmental stakeholders.
July 2022 - Mr. Terry contacted requesting an update on provision progress and was told that he had heard nothing from the SLV Irrigation District and no additional action to develop specific provision commitments had yet occurred.
November 2022 - The Rio Grande Reservoir shuts off all water releases to the Rio Grande.
December 8, 2022 - Mr. Terry indicated that the Irrigation District had still not contacted him regarding additional efforts to develop recreational or environmental provisions for the Rio Grande.
September 2023 - E-mails requesting action on recreational provisions were sent to Governor Polis, the CWCB, and Senator Bennet. As of August 2024 there has been no response from the CWCB and only acknowledgements from Polis and Bennet.
May 2024 - The Committee for a Healthy Rio Grande formed to push for action on recreational and environmental promises made in the Rio Grande Cooperative Project.
July 2024 - The Committee for a Healthy Rio Grande sends both a certified and a registered letter to Governor Polis asking to meet with him to discuss unmet promises of the Rio Grande Cooperative Project. No response from either letter.
Sept 5, 2024 - The Committee for a Healthy Rio Grande requests the Mineral County Board of Commissioners (BOCC) to request action from the CWCB and SLV Irrigation District on promised dam flow strategies in support of the Rio Grande’s environmental and recreational assets. The BOCC rejected the request.
September 2024 – The Colorado Sun reports that The CWCB declined an interview request for their 9/13 article, but said in an email that there were no specific conditions in the loans and grants tied to providing environmental benefits. “CWCB does not have the ability to impose extra terms on the recipients of funds that are not articulated in the funding agreements. In the case of the Rio Grande Reservoir Rehabilitation, the final deliverable was completion of the project” according to a CWCB spokesperson. Neither Irrigation District President Randall Palmgren nor Reservoir Superintendent Robert Phillips responded to numerous requests for comment by the Colorado Sun.
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Conclusion
Despite $30 million of public funding and 12 years of repeated promises and delays, there are still no provisions to enhance recreational and environmental assets on the Rio Grande. Neither has the promised and ballyhooed stakeholder involvement in developing such provisions materialized. Given that the reservoir continues to shut off all flows to the Rio Grande for five months each year, it has become difficult to conclude that there is, even now, a good faith effort to address the long recognized environmental and recreational needs of the Rio Grande.