BOARD00072 ‎(2)‎

• Board Meeting Date: 11/13/2006
• Description: CF Section - En-Bloc Non-Reimbursable Investments Recommendations - Flood Section - CWCB - Chatfield Reservoir Reallocation Project
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Memo

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STATE OF COLORADO

Colorado Water Conservation Board

Department of Natural Resources
1313 Sherman Street, Room 721
Denver, Colorado 80203
Phone: [phone]
FAX: [phone]
www.cwcb.state.co.us

MEMORANDUM

Bill Owens
Governor

To:
From:
Date:
Re:

Russen George
Executive Director

Colorado Water Conservation Board
Tom Browning, Chief, Flood Protection Section
October 30, 2006
Agenda Item 11J (En-bloc non-reimbursable investments)
Chatfield Reservoir Reallocation Project
November 13-15,2006 CWCB Meeting
Note: Thefunding requestfor this item has been increased since the time of the September 2006 Finance
Committee Meeting.
Background
The fundamental scope of the Chatfield Reservoir Reallocation project is to investigate the feasibility of
converting flood control storage space in Chatfield Reservoir, owned by the U.S. Corps of Engineers (Corps),
into water supply storage space. The confirmed amount of storage space available for reallocation is 20,600
acre-feet as substantiated by the Corps published Antecedent Flood Study for the project. Work is in progress to
complete a Feasibility Report, Environmental Impact Statement, Recreation Impact Study, and other
components of the project that are presumed to lead to successful contracting between local Water Users and
the Corps for purchase of water supply storage space in the reservoir.

Rod Kuharich
CWCB Director

Dan McAuliffe
Deputy Director

Discussion
There are currently six.teen water users that have invested funding (on the order of $500,000 total) for the
project thus far, with significant additional cash and in-kind contributions from the CWCB to match the
federally allocated funds. The Corps of Engineers selected and contracted with Tetra Tech to develop the
necessary feasibility report and the Environmental Impact Statement for the project. This multi-year effort is
now closer than ever to fruition, and the CWCB has been strongly encouraged to provide a final allocation of
funds to ensure the completion and success of all remaining project steps. The final work products will allow
for contracting of water supply space in Chatfield by the interested water users. One of the purposes for
continued CWCB involvement and investment in the Chatfield Reallocation project is the strong possibility of
substantial loans from the CWCB Construction Fund to water users requiring funds to purchase storage space in
the reservoir. The estimated total project cost is on the order of $80,000,000 to cover environmental and
recreation mitigation efforts and payments to the federal government (Corps of Engineers) to buy storage space
in the facility. An additional benefit of continued involvement is to provide leadership and progress towards
addressing the water supply "gap" identified in the Statewide Water Supply Initiative (SWSI).

Staff Request
The CWCB Staff requests that the Board consider approving $600,000 for the Chatfield Reservoir Reallocation
Project for Fiscal Year 2008.

Recommendation
Staff recommends that the Board request that the General assembly authorize $600,000 from the
Construction Fund to be appropriated to the Colorado Water Conservation Board for the Chatfield
Reservoir Reallocation Project.

Flood Protection. Water Project Planning and Financing. Stream and Lake Protection
Water Supply Protection. Conservation Planning