A proposed reservoir may supply nearly 11,000 acre feet of water for the recovery of endangered species.

The Denver Water Board, Northern Colorado Water Conservancy District and the Municipal Subdistrict submitted an application Dec. 10 for water rights to build Sulphur Gulch Reservoir. The three filed jointly in District Water Court in Glenwood Springs.

The reservoir site is near De Beque, approximately 40 miles northeast of Grand Junction. It is located off the mainstem of the Colorado River on Sulphur Gulch.

The reservoirs purpose is to provide a permanent source for all or part of the water necessary to meet Colorado River Recovery Program requirements. The three agencies plan to cooperate with numerous Colorado River users to filfill an obligation for 10,825 acre feet of water.

There is satisfaction here that we are making progress to solve the problem, said Eric Wilkinson, General Manager of the District and Subdistrict.

The Colorado River Recovery Program is a cooperative effort of water users; local, state and federal interests; and hydroelectric power producers. Its main intent is to help recover the endangered pikeminnow, humpback chub, bonytail chub and razorback sucker, and to fully develop Colorado's water rights. Sulphur Gulch Reservoir would store water for relase to the Colorado River when it is most beneficial to the four endangered fish.

Our hope is that a coalition of Colorado River water users will join us in this or in other options to fulfill the obligation for the 10,825 acre feet of water for the recovery of endangered Colorado River fish, said Chips Barry, Manager of Denver Water.