Communities Evaluate Wild and Scenic as Tool to Protect the Crystal River
Matt Rice, Director, Colorado Conservation
January 10, 2013 | Wild and Scenic Rivers, Most Endangered Rivers
Crystal River, CO | Delia Malone
A couple of months ago communities along the Crystal River in Colorado gathered in Redstone, CO and Carbondale, CO to discuss the appropriateness of a Wild Scenic Designation to protect the river from new dam and trans-basin diversion projects.
Four panelists with experience working to designate Wild and Scenic Rivers in Colorado and throughout the country spoke about various aspects of the law, challenges faced in designation, and recreational, ecological, economic benefits of designation. For more on the meetings check out this article written by Brent Gardner-Smith.
Colorado is home to some of the nations most spectacular rivers that support world class trout fishing and whitewater boating yet only one- the Cache la Poudre- is protected under the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act. For comparison, New Jersey has five Wild and Scenic Rivers. One of the biggest barriers in Colorado for Wild and Scenic Protection is a misunderstanding of the law.
The Crystal River certainly meets the criteria of the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act and was found eligible for designation by the Forest Service in 2002. It is one of the longest and last undammed rivers in Colorado flowing through one of the most beautiful valleys in the state.
To get a sense of the beauty of the Crystal River you must watch this video by the talented Pete McBride.
The forums that took place a couple of months ago did not mark the beginning of a Wild and Scenic Campaign for the Crystal River. Rather, it was the beginning of a process to explore whether the Wild Scenic Rivers Act is an appropriate tool to protect the river and to determine if the community supports moving forward. A decision to protect a river in perpetuity is and always will be a local decision.
American Rivers believes that the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act is still one of the best and most proven tools to protect the recreational, environmental, agricultural, and cultural values of the rivers that are so important to our country. If the communities that surround the Crystal River choose to work towards making the River Colorado’s second Wild and Scenic River, American Rivers would welcome the opportunity to help in anyway we can to establish that legacy.
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Submitted by Terry L Forrest at: January 16, 2013
The Crystal River is truly a spectacular treasure which should be protected for future generations. As already discussed, the potential for future hydropower from development of the river is small and does not justify development of the river.
Submitted by Matt Rice at: January 10, 2013
Hi Zane, I appreciate your comment, it is exactly the kind of feedback American Rivers, The Roaring Fork Conservancy, Pitkin County, CVEPA, and others are looking for to determine whether to move forward with W&S on the Crystal. It is true that the Lower Crystal below the major ditches runs extremly low later in the season because of diversions for agriculture. It is also true that the upper 39 miles remains largely undiverted or dewatered. It is one of the last signifigant rivers in CO that is not dammed or does not have a trans-basin diversion. A W&S designation would ensure that a trans-basin diversion could not be constructed on the Crystal River ever. The Dam proposal at Placita is fairly small and would not provide a significant source of water storage for late season releases. The water for the reservoir would have to be captured during runnoff cutting the top off a substantial portion of peak flows, Which is the most important time of year for maintaining a healthy river including fish habitat, wetlands, etc. Reducing peak flows will also impact whitewater recreation and a growing economy in the valley. This is one of the reasons new storage is not a silver bullet in the face of global warming. You need water to fill a reservoir which has to come during the runnoff season. This is also the most important time of year for a river and the communities and economies that depend on it. Some years (like 2011/2012)there is not enough water to fill a reservoir and meet downstream obligations. A recent analysis of hydropower potential at the site suggests that hydropower development would be extremley expensive and only produce a marginal amount of energy. I would love to discuss this further and to keep you in the loop as the community continues to evaluate whether W&S is appropriate for the Crystal and whether there is community support for moving forward. Thanks again for your comment. Best, Matt Rice mrice@americanrivers.org
Submitted by Zane Dennis at: January 10, 2013
I am in favor of the Placita dam and therefore oppose the wild and scenic designation. I love the Crystal River (and own property on it) and think the dam is an overall (flood control, hydropower, fish habitat, water storage for late season release, etc..,) benefit to the river and the Crystal River Valley inhabitants. With global warming, more dams are needed not less, plus there are so many water diversion and channeling projects on the river now I don't think it is really "wild."