C.R.E. 408 Communication; Case Nos. 16CW3128 & 16CW3129 April 27, 2017 VIA ELECTRONIC MAIL City of Aspen 130 S. Galena St. Aspen, CO 81611 Dear Mayor Skadron & representatives of the City of Aspen, Western Resource Advocates and Wilderness Workshop thank you for inviting us to attend the March 21, 2017 meeting at the Aspen Fire Station. We appreciate the opportunity to discuss the City of Aspen’s future water supply and share our concerns regarding potential dams on Castle and Maroon creeks. We also thank you for starting a conversation regarding potential alternatives to the dams that could meet the City’s future water needs. To this end, please find the attached memorandum exploring what we believe are three promising alternatives. Broadly speaking, the alternatives are water efficiency, reuse, and alternative transfer mechanisms. All three alternatives seek to specifically address Aspen’s concerns regarding peak water demands. Indeed, we understand that the City is already pursuing many of these options in meeting its water needs. We believe that any or all of these strategies could also be deployed in a cost-effective manner to address unlikely but impactful drought scenarios. By adopting these cutting edge yet sensible and achievable recommendations, the City of Aspen would further its reputation as a thoughtful leader advancing sustainable solutions for communities here in the United States and throughout the world. This approach would serve as a model for how other communities can adopt policies and take action to ensure the continued vibrancy of communities in a climate impacted future. Importantly, these solutions also help bring the City’s water supply strategies into balance with nature and the values of the people who live and raise their families in the Roaring Fork Valley. Thank you for your consideration of the alternatives contained in the attached memorandum. We look forward to discussing these ideas with you. 1 C.R.E. 408 Communication; Case Nos. 16CW3128 & 16CW3129 Sincerely, Jon Goldin-Dubois President Western Resource Advocates Cc: Rhonda Bazil, Esq. Craig Corona, Esq. James Dubois, Esq. Marcella Larsen Laura Makar, Esq. Ken Neubecker David Nickum Paul Noto, Esq. Matt Rice Attachment: Will Roush Conservation Director Wilderness Workshop rjbazil@sopris.net cc@craigcoronalaw.com James.dubois@usdoj.gov marcellalarsen@me.com laura.makar@pitkincounty.com kneubecker@americanrivers.org DNickum@tu.org noto@waterlaw.com MRice@americanrivers.org Memorandum, “Potential Conservation Alternatives to Dams on Maroon & Castle Creeks” (April 27, 2017). 2