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WWP Accomplishments - 10 years

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PROTECT
CA  McCloud River
  Stopped Perrier water bottling plant that would have depleted ground water and river flows.
Stanislaus&Sout Fork American Rivers  Used PG&E Bankruptcy proceeding to gain agreements to protect instream flows and restore habitat.
CO N. Fork Snake River 401 Certification for Arapahoe Basin established that state couldn’t ignore adverse impacts of diversions, limited winter diversion for snowmaking and required ski area to pay to clean up abandoned mine hot spot and monitor effects of diversion in paired stream study for five year period.
Gunnison River Teamed with local, regional and national conservation groups to convince National Park Service (NPS) to file for instream flow right for Black Canyon; when NPS tried to abandon it later, gained court order prohibiting NPS from doing so.  Negotiated instream flow protection for Canyon acceptable to all parties. In separate case, stopped AB Lateral hydropower project that would have depleted Gunnison and flooded Uncompahgre Rivers.
San Juan River Convinced state Supreme Court to limit how much water a city can claim for future growth and to deny a water right for a large dam that would have depleted San Juan River for speculative growth.  
La Poudre Pass Creek In TU challenge to US Forest Service (USFS) refusal to require reservoir owner to bypass water to protect creek after expansion, federal court held law requires USFS to impose or find other way to protect.  USFS then agreed to restore native trout to drainage.
State-wide Statutes authorizing consideration of water quality impacts in applications to change water rights and requiring cities to consider source and adequacy of water for new land use development.
Defeat of post-drought $2M bond for new water projects;
State-wide water quality temperature standard to protect cold-water fishes.
Filed briefs in cases that protected cities’ right to obtain instream flow water right for recreation;
Filed brief to support state supreme court ruling that instream flow water rights can place a call within a call. 
Awarded seat on new water committee that will produce state’s first instream water needs assessment.
ID Henry's Fork River Negotiated Drought Management Plan with Henry’s Fork Foundation and water users.
MT Gallatin River Basin Blocked new housing developments' ground water diversions that would have lowered river flows.  
Smith River  Won case at state Supreme Court finding that ground and surface waters are hydrologically connected .
Bitteroot Basin  With local allies, convinced legislature to close basin to additional water development.
Big Hole, Jefferson and Blackfoot Rivers  Negotiated drought management plans with water users and helped with enforcement.
State-wide headwaters Helped pass statutory framework to allow US Forest Service to obtain instream flow water rights.
WY Bear River Stopped federal funding for propose Cokeville dam on Smiths' Fork.

RECONNECT
CA Coastal Rivers from San Francisco Bay North to Mattole River in Humboldt County (5900 stream miles) Petition for regulation of unauthorized water diversions led to passage of AB 2121, which directed state Water Board to adopt instream flow policy for comprehensive water management.  New plan revolutionizes water administration by setting river targets all users meet cooperatively. 
TU is now engaged with vintner stakeholders in dialogue, “Water&Wine” for further improvements.
CO State-wide With allies, gained statutes authorizing state to acquire instream flow water rights to improve stream flows.  Later statutory improvements include removal of penalties for water rights holders leasing water for instream flow, $1M for instream flow acquisition fund and $500K for species recovery.
ID Little Lost River tributaries With agency support and funding, identified and completed several projects on Badger Creek with local irrigators that together resulted in opening bull trout spawning habitat.  The project won award from National Fish Habitat Board. 
Rainey Creek, tributary to South Fork Snake River Worked with irrigators to obtain first water donation to Idaho Water Supply Bank for instream flow protection.
Eastern Snake Plain Aquifer Participated in Idaho's Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program proposal for CREP to ensure moneys could be used for instream flows.
Secured sole seat for conservation representative on Governor’s Advisory Committee making recommendations regarding the state’s Comprehensive Aquifer Management Plan. 
Bear River Negotiated removal of Cove Dam.
MT  Blackfoot River Negotiated, executed and continue to be key partner  in drought management plan.
Leased instream flow water rights in several tributaries from landowners.
State-wide Expanded and made leasing program permanent.  TU now leasing in Yellowstone, Upper Clark Fork, Madison River Basins in addition to Blackfoot. 
Convinced MT Supreme Court that instream flow water rights are legal even without diversion.
Pioneered flow monitoring program to help develop and enforce instream leases.
Bitterroot River Brokered deal with state agencies to put 10,000 acre feet of stored water into river to maintain flows in perpetuity.
Warm Spring Creek, tributary to Upper Clark Fork Negotiated agreement to release stored water so that creek no longer dries up.
UT State-wide Instream flow leasing bill passed in 2008.
Boulder Creek, tributary to East Fork Negotiated modest bypass flow from hydropower dam in re-licensing proceeding.
Blacksmith Fork River Negotiated bypass flow and agreed to raise money for new fish ladder for city hydropower facility.
WY State-wide Gained Governor's endorsement for instream flow protection statute.
Grade Creek, tributary to Bear Worked with irrigator and neighbors to change point of diversion to reconnect stream.
Gros Ventre River Partnering with Grand Teton National Park to track fish movement with eye towards determining where to restore instream flows for native fish.  Involving local volunteers in study.

RESTORE
CA Pit River, including Hat Creek Using PG&E Bankruptcy, reached agreement to improve stream flows.
ID Portneuf River Helped City of Pocatello pass $5M bond, half of which will go to buy water for flows through town.
South Fork Snake River Negotiated settlement with agencies, operator and other conservation groups to provide better flows and money for fish passage around Chester Dam.
Sout Fork Snake River Worked with Bureau of Reclamation to re-operate Palisades Dam using principle of environmentally sustainable water management to benefit native fish without jeopardizing water users' water yield.
Bear River Usedre-licensing for PacifiCorps' hydropower dams on River to secure better flows for fish.
MT State-wide Using the Smith River Supreme Court victory, convinced state legislature to reform ground water law in a way that protects river baseflows in over-appropriated basins.
State-wide With Montana Natural Resources and Conservation Service, piloted prioritizing federal funding for irrigation projects that improve streamflows; then helped build agricultural-conservation coalition to secure national program in 2008 Farm Bill. 
Sun River Used Clean Water Act impaired waters process to force Bureau of Reclamation to consider re-operation of reservoir system to benefit fishery. 
Clark Canyon Dam, Beaverhead River Negotiated Bureau of Reclamation contract renewal requiring consideration of instream flows and water quality.
UT American Fork River Negotiated removal of dam on river through re-licensing process.  Dam is now gone.
WY State-wide Helped establish $200M WY Wildlife Natural Resources Trust Fund for restoration on private lands.