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<br />. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />'i <br /> <br />again in Denver on October 18-19. The Special Committee expects to bring completed recommendations <br />to the ARCA Annual Meeting to be held in Lamar on December 11-12, 2006. Matt Heimerich of <br />Crowley County, one of Colorado's two water user representatives on ARCA, was recently elected <br />Chairman of Action 22. Action 22 is a regional organization representing businesses and local <br />governments in 22 counties across Southern Colorado to promote regional economic development and <br />advocate on rural issues. <br /> <br />Kansas v Colorado Litigation Account Update: We issued a $50,000 contract amendment to CSU for <br />initial operation and maintenance of the lysimeter at Rocky Ford. Staffat the Rocky Ford Experimental <br />Station has assisted in the design and construction of the first lysimeter and the amendment will allow <br />them to help with startup of the initial crop experiments. The lysimeter was recently sealed, backfilled, <br />and received its first delivery of irrigation water. The O&M funds we have provided will not cover <br />operation beyond 2007, which remains a concern that the State Engineers Office is trying to address. . <br />Discussions with CSU have begun regarding construction of the smaller reference lysimeter in 2007. We <br />expect that savings from the CoAgMet weather station upgrade portion of the project and the remaining <br />balance in the Iysimeter budget will be sufficient for this purpose. <br /> <br />Arkansas River Conservancy District: On August 25 Tom Browning, Thuy Patton, and Steve Miller <br />form my staff met with the District which maintains the Arkansas River levee in Bent County adjacent to <br />the town of Las Animas. The new commander of the Albuquerque district of the US Army Corps of <br />Engineers, Lt. Col. Bruce Estok, and several members of his staff also attended. The Conservancy <br />District recently commissioned a study by the USGS which determined that the capacity of the leveed <br />floodway has been decreased by approximately 40,000 cfs due to encroachment of tamarisk in the <br />floodplain. Additional flood hydrology work will be done to evaluate the 100 year flood magnitude, and <br />assess potential regulatory impacts on Las Animas. Staff will also be looking for ways to assist the <br />District in efforts to find funding sources to restore the floodway capacity through tamarisk eradication <br />and vegetative management. <br /> <br />Arkansas River Water Bank: Staff recently conferred with the State Engineer's and Attorney General's <br />staff concerning rules being promulgated to reactivate the Arkansas River Water Bank pursuant to <br />legislation revised in 2003. The proposed rules will authorize the Upper Arkansas Water Conservancy <br />District to operate the bank consistent with Section 37-80.5-104.5 c.R.S. The bank as proposed will be <br />similar to Pilot Water Bank operated by the Southeastern Colorado Water Conservancy District from July <br />2002 to May 2005. The Board previously reviewed the rules authorizing that Pilot Water Bank. Due to <br />its limited scope the earlier bank did not generate any water transactions. Unless the legislature makes <br />further revisions water banking authority (and the proposed rules) will expire on July 1,2007. <br /> <br />CSU Report on Arkansas River Water Management: Colorado State University recently released a <br />report, authored by Drs. Luis Garcia, Tim Gates, and John Labadie, entitled: "Toward Optimal Water <br />Management in Colorado's Lower Arkansas River Valley". The report summarizes several years of data <br />collection surrounding irrigation water use in the Arkansas River Basin below Pueblo Reservoir. Board <br />funds from the litigation account funded part of the data collection and analysis. The data highlights <br />concerns with shallow saline groundwater tables due to inefficient irrigation practices and the resulting <br />impacts on crop yields, water quality and nonbeneficial consumptive use of water. The report does not <br />propose specific remedial projects, but does suggest that enhanced management practices and <br />infrastructure can reverse the negative impacts. The authors also recognize that efforts to modernize <br />irrigation techniques in the Basin are complicated by provisions of the Arkansas River Compact, <br />particularly Article IVD., which prohibits depletions to usable Stateline flows caused by the improved <br />functioning of existing works. Additional information and a copy of the report can be obtained from the <br />study website: http://www.csuarkriver.colostate.edu/. For further information contact Steve Miller on my <br />staff. <br /> <br />13 <br />