Thoughts in no particular order
a. Drive from Canyon to Granite, observe all the raft companies. This is the primary economy for a fairly depressed area. You ain't gonna convince anyone that trading whitewater $s for fishing $s is to the locals benefit. Browns Canyon is the most heavy commercial rafted section in the world.
b. Overly simplified, there are no dams on the Upper Ark. You understand that water is taken from the Roaring Fork Valley and diverted under Indy Pass into the Ark right? Lake Creek actually supplies the majority of the non-native flow to the Ark (as I understand it).
c. Highwater boating is quality boating. Boaters don't want a constant trickle. Sort of like fishing, just because you can fish doesn't mean you will. It's conditions dependent.
d. The Voluntary Flow Program (which has never been guaranteed) is very important to the whitewater community. Basically this is 700 at Wellsville until the middle of August under certain situations. The way people I know who've lively hood depends on water in the Ark have explained it too me is that this pre-season releases almost certainly mean the end of the VFP. Many years, it's the only thing running towards the end of the summer.
e. Not that it matters, but what is probably most fair is to provide the biggest benefit/ least damage for the most people. The established whitewater industry stand to lose a lot (their business, real estate, job etc.). The benefits to the fishing industry are unknown. This is why people get fired up. The perception is that the managing entities (AHRA and Colorado State Parks) are tossing out a system that works pretty good without much public input.
f. I've probably spend close to 500 days on all sections and tributaries of the Ark kayaking, rafting and fishing. Its a resource that is very important to my quality of life. If I seam defensive, this is why.
