Western Association To Enjoy Rivers
P.O. Box 2151
Grand Junction CO 81502

          April 27, 1999

Secretary
FERC
888 1st St. NE
Washington DC 20426

 Re:  Comments on DEA #4515-014  -  Price-Stubb Dam power site

The draft environmental assessment for the proposed Hydro-West hydropower 
plant at the Price-Stubb dam on the Colorado River near Palisade, CO omitted 
the option of voiding the license.  During the past few years the Western 
Association To Enjoy Rivers (W.A.T.E.R. Club) has  attempted to create a 
whitewater park in the area and has gained regional and national support for 
this effort.  The dam must be removed for this water park to be developed.

At the the request of the US Fish and Wildlife Service, the US Bureau of 
Reclamation is in the final stages of preparing a draft environmental 
assessment to provide endangered species access to the river above the dam.  
There are two general alternatives:  1) build an out of channel fish ladder, 
which would allow hydropower development, 2) remove the dam and build an 
in-channel fish ladder that allows upstream fish travel and downstream boat 
travel.

There is a Colorado state park upstream from the dam (Island Acres) and two 
downstream (Corn Lake and Connected Lakes), plus city parks along the river 
in Palisade, Grand Junction and Fruita.  By building a boatable fish ladder, 
recreational boating between Island Acres and  the downstream parks will 
develop.  Whitewater boating is the fasting growing segment of the outdoor 
recreation industry, and the Colorado River is one of the few rivers in 
Colorado that is boatable all year.

The cities of Palisade, Grand Junction and Fruita are seriously considering 
applying for an in-stream water right for recreational use to augment low 
flows from August to October.  The Grand Junction Waterfront Commission and 
the W.A.T.E.R. Club have financed plans for development of a whitewater park 
in conjunction with an in-stream fish ladder.   These municipalities, the 
Commission and the W.A.T.E.R. Club are supporting this alternative in part 
because whitewater races and rodeo events could contribute several hundred 
thousand dollars in recreational tourism to the local economies. 

The Commission has spent millions of dollars developing a trail system along 
the river and so far about ten thousand dollars developing plans for a 
whitewater park.  This effort has been well publicized by local TV and 
newspapers.  Copies of news articles documenting this are attached.

A power plant at the Price-Stubb dam is incompatible with a boatable fish 
ladder, probably not economic, and the license should be voided.

Sincerely,

Peter S. Winn
Waterpark Committee Chairman