BOARD00054 ‎(2)‎

• Board Meeting Date: 11/13/2006
• Description: CWCB Director's Report
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Memo

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In the new contract, Aurora is seeking 40 years of excess capacity storage of up to 10,000 acre-feet in
Lake Pueblo, as well as the ability to move 10,000 acre-feet of water in Lake Pueblo in a paper trade to
the upper reservoirs.

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The Southeastern district and Kansas have raised questions about whether the draft environmental
assessment does enough to recognize previous restrictions on Aurora exchanges, which were enumerated
in a five-year environmental assessment on excess capacity contracts up to 80,000 acre-feet in Lake
Pueblo.

Comments on the Draft Environmental Assessment for Aurora's 40-year storage and exchange contract
with the Bureau of Reclamation will be accepted through Nov. 9. Comments must be received in writing
by regular mail, e-mail or fax. Comments should be sent to the attention of Will Tully.
Mail: BureauofReclamation.EasternColoradoAreaOffice.11056W.CountyRoadl8E.Loveland.CO
80537. e-mail: [e-mail] Fax: [phone]
Web site: http://www.usbr.gov/gp/nepalquarterly.cfm#ecao

Pueblo Kayak Course Review: The Army Corps of Engineers and the City of Pueblo are evaluating the
Pueblo downtown kayak course after brief high flows damaged portions of it last summer. Work on the
structures won't actually begin until after Nov. 15, when river flows below Pueblo are reduced during the
winter water storage program.

The Army Corps of Engineers are doing a review of the temporary improvements, while the city will
receive its own review of the kayak course from its designer Gary Lacy.

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The city is looking at the possibility of adding an additional grouted layer of rock terraces along the south
side of the river. Other improvements include deciding how to fill parts of the bank that washed out and
how to deal with material that washed out of the course and formed a bar at the end of the course. The
course had flows of 5,500 cubic feet per second one day last summer that washed out fill material and
caused erosion. The flows were far above normal, but within limits of what the course could experience
in future heavy rains.

During the winter repairs, the city also will be looking to reduce the amount of maintenance required on
the course. City officials say it is important to get the design right before signing off on a final contract
with the Corps. The city also is looking at putting a permanent trail along what is now a maintenance
road, as well as a footpath closer to the kayak course. The work is expected to be done before higher
flows next spring.

Cbaffee County Decree Signed: On Oct 20, Water Division 2 Judge Dennis Maes of Pueblo signed a
recreational in-channel diversion water right decree for Chaffee County. The decree covers two boating
courses: one in Downtown Buena Vista and the other in Salida.

The decree represents two years of negotiations with the Southeastern Colorado Water Conservancy
District, the Colorado Department of Natural Resources, Division ofWildIife, Division of Parks,
Arkansas River Outfitters Association, Colorado Springs, Pueblo Board of Water Works and Pueblo
West. It was also the subject of a public hearing by the Colorado Water Conservation Board in May
2005.

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Chaffee County Commissioner Jerry Mallett stated that "The whole thing is to guarantee that the water
stays in the valley from here clear down to Lake Pueblo" and that the importance of the water right to the
Chaffee County economy is obvious. Mallet said that one event in Buena Vista in May caused one store
to do $110,000 in business in four days, and that the Salida river park alone brings about $2 million to
$2.5 million a year into the local economy. All river-related recreation brings in at least $50 million a
year to Chaffee County's economy, he said.

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