BOARD00031 ‎(2)‎

• Board Meeting Date: 9/20/2006
• Description: CWCB Director's Report
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Memo

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Researchers from Reclamation's Albuquerque Area Office are working with Los Alamos National
Laboratory and the University of Iowa on the project. Researchers deployed the scanning Raman Light .
Distance and Ranging (LIDAR) laser earlier this month with cooperation from the Middle Rio Grande
Conservancy District and the Rio Grande State Park. The Raman LIDAR system works by sending a
laser beam into the air and recording how much light is reflected back from water molecules in the
atmosphere.

The research is designed to help better management of water supply by providing water managers with
more accurate estimates of the natural evaporation depletion losses from the active channel surface flows
and exposed soils. Evaporation from the river along with transpiration by the riparian and agricultural
communities (ET) represents about two-thirds of the total losses from the system of surface water
between Cochiti Reservoir and Elephant Butte Reservoir.

Domenici Offers Bill to Facilitate Title Transfer of Facilities: On August 4 U.S. Senator Pete
Domenici announced that he introduced legislation designed to facilitate the title transfer of Bureau of
Reclamation water facilities. The Reclamation Facility Title Transfer Act of 2006 builds on existing
Bureau guidelines to transfer titles to some of its facilities. The bill directs the Secretary of the Interior to
issue criteria for the transfer of title to Reclamation facilities and lands, including multi-purpose and
multi-beneficiary projects; and directs the Secretary of the Interior to undertake a study to identify which
Reclamation facilities may be appropriate for transfer.

The Bureau currently owns 673 facilities that are part of 178 major projects.

NPS Directed to Establish Performance Goals: In a special 90th anniversary message and a
memorandum issued August 25 at Yellowstone National Park, President George W. Bush directed
Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne to establish specific performance goals to help prepare the national
parks for another century of conservation, preservation and enjoyment.

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The President's special memorandum also directed the Secretary to identify signature projects and
programs that continue the NPS legacy of leveraging philanthropic, partnership, and government
investments.

The President's memo, the Memorandum for the Secretary of the Interior from the President, and the
Memorandum from Secretary Kempthorne to NPS Director Mainella is posted on www.doi.~ov.

DOE Plans EIS on Eastern Plains Transmission Project in Colorado and Kansas: On August 2, the
U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Western Area Power Administration (Western) filed a notice in the
Federal Register that it intends to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for its proposal to
participate with Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association, Inc. (Tri-State), to construct the
proposed Eastern Plains Transmission Project (project).

The EIS will address the construction, operation, and maintenance of approximately 1,000 miles of high-
voltage transmission lines and ancillary facilities. In addition, the EIS will address expansions of existing
substations and construction of new substations, access roads, and fiber optic communication facilities.
Because the Project could involve action in a floodplain, the EIS will address floodplain and wetlands
impacts under DOE regulations for compliance with floodplain and wetlands environmental review.

The public scoping period will close September 30, 2006. Written comments, questions, and information
on the scope of the Project may be mailed, faxed, or e-mailed to Mr. Jim Hartman, Environmental
Manager, Western Area Power Administration, Rocky Mountain Region, P.O. Box 3700, Loveland, CO
80539; fax [phone]; or e-mail [e-mail]. Project and contact information will also be

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