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Show f liizens for a Responsible Central Utah Project • ihMni (*} uirecten 141»5 N. 10 S t. Man1towoc, WIs March 2 1 , 1980 5^220 Dosathy Harvey, co-chairperson f red Rrsmherf. co-chasrperjon 8<*lh Duncan David Freed Karl Hedenreich Peter Hcv'trtgh Dav.d LHitetteld Da«t McCoffrtick Barbara Polich larrm 1 alley Hartt Wixom Suppartiif Organizations •Utah Council. Trout Unlimited •Rocky Mountian Council ol the Federation of Fry fishermen kUtah Member Clubs, of the Federation of "Fly fishermen •Stonefly Society of the Wasrach Salt Lake City, Utah •'Order of Ihe Royal Coachman Pleasant Orove U'ah • U<ah At* *-n Cecil Andrus, Secretary Department of Interior Interior Building C St. at 18, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20240 Dear Mr. Andrus: I have just reviewed the Agreement between the State of Utah and the Department 'of Interior on the issue of instream flows for Uinta Mountains rivers which are scheduled for CUP constructions and diversions of water. I am grateful that the importance of four of these rivers will be recognized through an Agreement allowing an annual flow of 44,400 acre feet of water to retain 50£ of their historic adult trout habitat. It has taken the persistent effort of a number of Utah residents some fifteen years to remedy a previous disastrous 6,500 a f annual allowance proposal. I do have reservations about some terms, some provisions, some ommissions, and the scope of the issues in the Agreement. I will list major concerns, briefly. If there is opportunity and need for further discussion, time might be found at the March. National Dam Conference. Statements made here are my concerns, at this point. First off, you, as a westerner know that the terms streams and creeks are given to full-fledged and lengthy rivers. I have.found that mid-westerners cannot develop concern for what the_y label creeks and I doubt if non-western Congressmen and Senators recognize any significance in saving a stream. Moreover, some western elected officials find it convenient to downplay valuable rivers by using these other terms when their purposes conflict with instream flow preservation. I would like to see any free flowing body of water some degree above a trickle referred to in docTme1its~~ai-rTvers am rii is Inadequate Provlslon_s_j^_j)mmiss1^ns Leaving; open the acquisition of 22,100 a f of W3tejr_by_jgagti- £jj^JLgi^LJ^ n the Conservancy ~District This is the amount to "supplement the 22,300 a f to be supplied by the District which will make up the agreed-upon 44,400 annual a f supply of flows. Considering oast difficulties of the Forest Service, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, and the State Division of Wildlife Resources obtaining water in a State where beneficial uses only are legally recogniseds the ommission of actual acauisit^^^ sources and title to the desired water may lead to~ |
