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!
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.”
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.
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.”
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.
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
INSTREAM FLOWS
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ECOLOGICAL HEALTH
RECREATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES
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