USBR – Oversight
Do you know of any seaplane operations that have happened on any US Bureau of Reclamation (USBR) reservoirs in Colorado? Particularly, Navajo or McPhee Reservoirs.
I need to know if anyone has any first-hand experience, as a witness or participant, at any time PRIOR TO April 2006. Pictures, videos, or logbook entries, newspaper stories, or even letters/postcards written to or by someone with direct knowledge. Anything that places a seaplane on these reservoirs.
The information is needed to present to the USBR, Upper Colorado Basin (UCB), Director. The result: Seaplanes should be permitted to continue to use the identified reservoirs.
In a recent Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request it has been learned that despite the total prohibition against seaplanes on ALL USBR/UCB reservoirs, some reservoirs still allow seaplanes! These reservoirs were shown to have seaplane operations PRIOR TO April 2006 and were “grandfathered” in!
Check this extract from the attached Memorandum, “No aircraft use will be allowed at any UCB reservoirs except for reservoirs where such use was active and documented prior to the 2006 regulation change at 43 CFR 423…”. No data was ever collected by the USBR/UCB from Colorado sources. This oversight resulted in the USBR/UCB ASSUMING that there were no operations before the implementation of the 2006 regulation change. We will challenge that “oversight”.
