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​PITKIN COUNTY
​RICD WATER RIGHT​

Protecting the flow of your Roaring Fork River

YOU CAN BE A CITIZEN STEWARD!

Protect your river flows by sharing photos or videos of your Pitkin County Healthy Rivers Whitewater Park experience to #RICDfundial on Facebook or Instagram. 

Did you know that every time you use the park you help us maintain a massive water right that is critical to the future health of the Roaring Fork River? Whether you enjoy surfing the waves, or a peaceful moment by the water, it’s a terrific way to give back to your river!

JULY IS RICD APPRECIATION MONTH

ASPEN, COLO. (July 15, 2021) – The Pitkin County Board of County Commissioners has formally recognized July 2021 as Pitkin County’s inaugural “RICD Appreciation Month.” The proclamation, made at the request of the Pitkin County Healthy Rivers Board, is meant to increase public awareness of the RICD mechanism which protects the in-stream flows of many rivers throughout the state of Colorado.

Read the proclamation here.

​You can help raise RICD awareness by sharing photos or videos of your Pitkin County Healthy Rivers Whitewater Park experience to #RICDfundial on Facebook or Instagram. 

RICDS PROTECT RIVER FLOWS!

ASPEN, COLO. (June 24, 2021) – Pitkin County Healthy Rivers today announced a new campaign called “Paddle with Purpose,” encouraging river users and enthusiasts to be active participants in river stewardship.

There is no better place to illustrate the power of recreationalists to protect a river than the Pitkin County Healthy Rivers Whitewater Park in Basalt. The whitewater park was born out of Pitkin County’s pursuit of a Recreational In-Channel Diversion (RICD) water right to protect the future flows of the Upper Roaring Fork River. Colorado has a number of RICD based whitewater parks but perhaps none more critical to the future health of a river.

Both the ecological integrity, and recreational viability, of the Roaring Fork depend upon sustained seasonal flows. Yet, by the early 2000’s several stream reaches on the Upper Roaring Fork were commonly depleted by late summer. On average, 47,000 acre-feet of the upper Roaring Fork’s annual flow is diverted to the Front Range. Conditional water rights could allow the development of additional diversions and droughts have become increasingly frequent and extreme.

In an effort to limit further dewatering of the river, Pitkin County Healthy Rivers began pursuing a RICD water right in 2010. The RICD gives the county legal standing to shepherd runoff from the Roaring Fork headwaters down to the whitewater park in Basalt, just above the confluence with the Fryingpan River. Keeping these flows in the river is critical to maintaining a healthy river ecology along the entire Upper Roaring Fork.

In order to use the RICD to call water, Pitkin County was required to install two in-stream diversion structures (wave features) that put the water to “beneficial use.” In this case, that beneficial use is recreation (wave surfing) at the whitewater park. The wave features were constructed and opened to the public in 2017. The park has been growing a diverse user base ever since.

“It’s not just playboaters who use it. The wave features create opportunities for many different users depending on river flows,” said Healthy Rivers board member Andre Wille. “In addition to kayaking, it creates a great fishing hole, it’s great for boogie boarding, a nice spot to cool off on a hot summer day or to just hang out and watch the river flow.” 

Wille added, “It’s great to see the community embrace the park. Many folks don’t realize how critical that is to realizing the RICD’s river health benefits.”
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Recently, the project achieved its most important milestone. On November 22, 2020, Colorado Water Court decreed the Pitkin County RICD water right as ABSOLUTE. The priority date determining the seniority of the water right had been previously established as December 30, 2010. The absolute decree recognizes the water right has been perfected, or made real, by placing previously unappropriated water to a beneficial use - the culmination of Pitkin County's 15-year long effort to protect the upper Roaring Fork River from future diversion. Read the full decree here.

As with any water right, the county must continue to prove the water flowing through the diversion is put to beneficial use. In the RICDs case, that requires documenting use of the whitewater park.

RICD education, and encouraging use of the park, is where the Paddle with Purpose campaign comes in. The campaign seeks to demystify the term “RICD” by helping river enthusiasts understand how their whitewater park visits contribute to the Roaring Fork’s aquatic and riparian health. 

“With an acronym like RICD, it’s easy to lose track of what the whitewater park is all about. It’s the one spot in our watershed where putting your paddle in the water literally helps protect the ecology of an entire river,” said Healthy Rivers Board member Wendy Huber.

MUCH MORE THAN A KAYAK PARK

Keeping water in the river has many benefits!

COMMUNITY VITALITY

• RICD’s have a proven track record as powerful catalysts for much larger community improvement efforts.  Vail, Golden, Buena Vista, and Salida for a few examples of Colorado communities that have used RICD’s as anchors for expanded recreation projects that have strengthened ties between community and river. This Pitkin County Healthy Rivers project has initiated an opportunity for citizens of Basalt, Pitkin County, and the entire Roaring Fork community to discuss and plan new ways to enjoy our beloved river.
• Basalt has a reputation as a “river town.”  This project builds on that concept and may help the town embrace the river.
• The features are located within walking distance from the Basalt town center and schools. This has potential to stimulate a closer relationship between Basalt residents, visitors and the river.
• The features could potentially host future river events (an economic benefit to Basalt and local businesses).
• In 1995, Two Rivers Road washed out and destabilized the river-bank immediately river-right of the planned in-stream features. The community benefits from structural, aesthetic, and public safety improvements to this stream-bank. 
• Interpretive and educational opportunities may be developed in areas adjacent to the whitewater features.
• This project may be leveraged as a model for promoting and fostering river stewardship.

INSTREAM FLOWS

• The RICD gives Pitkin County the legal standing to shepherd seasonal water from the Roaring Fork headwaters downstream to the in-stream diversion structures that create the whitewater park in Basalt. The entire reach of the Upper Roaring Fork River benefits from the preservation of these flows.
• The Independence Pass Trans Mountain diversion system currently diverts 37% of the upper Roaring Fork River. Conditional water rights could allow an additional 30% increase in these diversions (refer to Draft Colorado Basin Implementation Plan Schmeuser, Gordon Meyer LLC Carbondale, Co. May, 2014).  Future water diversions and increased storage capacity will likely target un-allocated peak river flows.  The Pitkin County RICD creates a tool to permanently protect a portion of the summer flows so that they remain in the river channel for ecological and recreational benefit.
• This Pitkin County RICD water right is junior to all existing rights but will precede all future claims.

ECOLOGICAL HEALTH

• There are a number of identified sections of the Roaring Fork River where low flows during the summer and fall result in severe stress to aquatic organisms including trout.  Maintaining seasonally high flows is very important to fish health and the overall ecology of the river.  The Pitkin County RICD helps ensure that future diversion projects will not be able to detrimentally commandeer the Roaring Fork’s early season flows or deplete late season flows.
• Higher flows maintain cooler temperatures in the river water for cold-water species such as trout.  Cold water is vital to maintain high levels of dissolved oxygen for trout and aquatic invertebrates.
• Higher river flows dilute pollutants such as storm water run-off, wastewater (ammonia and coliform bacteria), and acidified mine drainage.
• Higher flows provide improved and larger areas of in stream habitat for fish and aquatic insects.
• High spring run-off events provide flushing flows that remove fine sediment and debris in river gravels to improve trout spawning beds and insect habitat.
• The physical habitat of this stream reach is already highly impacted by humans. This project offers an opportunity to restore this river reach to a healthy condition.
• Possibilities exist for enhancing terrestrial habitat along both banks of the river.

RECREATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES

• To meet the requirements of the RICD water right, Pitkin County has constructed two play-wave features with adjacent eddies that provide an amenity to the whitewater boating community during periods of seasonal peak flows.  The upper wave was designed as a "hole" feature for kayak surfing.  The lower wave was designed with stand-up paddle-boarders in mind.  These combined features form a fun and convenient mid-valley surf spot.  They also create a great place for teaching/learning whitewater skills.
• Water protected by the RICD will enhance recreational boating flows in all upper stream reaches of the Roaring Fork (Northstar, Slaughterhouse, and Toothache).
• During the "non-boating" months (typically September through May) the features primarily provide fishing access with enhanced habitat due to the enlargement and deepening of the pools below the features.
• The recreational feature and river access provide opportunities for multiple river user groups including boaters, fishermen, and all those who enjoy rivers.

What does a RICD look like?​

Watch here to find out!