BOARD00054 ‎(2)‎

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

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SE Allocation Committee OKs More Water for Conduit, Assesses Water Providers: On Oct. 19 the
allocation committee of the Southeastern Colorado Water Conservancy District voted Thursday to
recommend an additional appropriation of water to the Arkansas Valley Conduit. Until the conduit is
built, however, the water will be used to repay a debt to Colorado Springs. Additionally, Pueblo West,
Manitou Springs, the Fountain Valley Conduit and cities west of Pueblo will have a little more
Fryingpan-Arkansas Project water available in future years.

The water comes from allocations formerly set aside for 15,000 acres of farmland in Crowley County
dried up by Aurora purchases on the Colorado Canal.

The allocations formerly given to the land amount to 3.59 percent of the annual total for the Southeastern
Colorado Water Conservancy District. The total amounts to an average of 1,881 acre-feet, based on total
average imports of 52,400 acre-feet.

The allocations committee fielded requests from 26 groups last month, but settled on a formula developed
by district staff at the request of President Bill Long. Executive Director Jim Broderick said the numbers
were calculated to provide about 1,200 acre-feet annually to the conduit - the additional amount needed to
meet minimum supply levels - while the rest were calculated on population levels in the 1970s, when the
original allocation principles were drafted.

The committee voted to recommend the following allocations:
Arkansas Valley Conduit: 2.18 percent.
Fountain Valley Pipeline (Colorado Springs, Fountain, Security, Wide field, Stratmoor Hills):
0.45 percent.
Cities west of Pueblo: 0.27 percent.
Pueblo West: 0.34 percent.
Manitou Springs: 0.35 percent.

The entire Southeastern board will consider the resolution at its November meeting.

In addition, the Southeastern Colorado Water Conservancy District is assessing water providers in the
Arkansas Valley Conduit project for continuing expenses.

Lower Ark Director Leroy Mauch told the conduit committee on Sept. 19 that he would ask the Lower
Ark board to pay assessments, since the conduit enterprise fund had dropped below its threshold of
$30,000.

However, the Southeastern District wants to assess water providers 75 cents per capita and apply the
Lower Ark contribution toward a State Tribal Assistance Grant (STAG) match, said Southeastern
Chairman Bill Long.

The STAG federal share could be $600,000 to $675,000, but a local match of up to 45 percent - possibly
$300,000 - could be required.

U.S. Sen. Wayne Allard, R-Colo., requested $600,000 and U.S. Rep. Marilyn Musgrave, R-Colo.,
requested $675,000 in STAG funds to move the conduit into the next stage, a preliminary design study.
The conduit also was the subject of a Senate hearing last month. Legislation sponsored by Allard, Sen.
Ken Salazar, D-Colo., and Musgrave would provide 80 percent federal funding to proceed with the
project through the Bureau of Reclamation.

Meanwhile, Musgrave and Rep. John Salazar have included authorization of $69 million in the Water
Resources Development Act.

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