BOARD00100 ‎(2)‎

• Board Meeting Date: 1/23/2007
• Description: OWCDP Section - Guidelines for Financial Assistance to Develop Drought Mitigation Plans
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Memo

.~

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 Ritter, Jr.
Governor

Harris D. Sherman
Executive Director

FROM:

Colorado Water Conservation Board Members

Veva McCaig, Section Chief V ((\
Office of Water Conservation & Drought Planning (OWCDP)
Tammie Petrone, Grants Coordinator, OWCDP

Rod Kuharich
CWCB Director

TO:

Dan McAuliffe
Deputy Director

DATE:

January 23, 2007

SUBJECT:

Agenda Item 7 - Office of Water Conservation & Drought Planning Section
Guidelines for Financial Assistance to Develop Drought Mitigation Plans

.

Backeround
The Water Conservation Act of 2004, under HB 04-1365, created a mechanism for the Colorado Water
Conservation Board (CWCB) to appropriate and expend such revenues as are necessary from the unobligated
balance of the five percent share of the operational account of the Severance Tax Trust Fund for purposes of the
Office of Water Conservation and Drought Planning (OWCDP) providing financial assistance to covered entities
and state or local governmental entities to develop drought mitigation plans that meet the provisions of ~37-60-
126.5 C.R.S., thus creating the Drought Mitigation Planning Grant Program. Furthermore, ~37-60-126.5 C.R.S.
stated that guidelines shall be adopted defining the method for submitting plans to the office and shall specify how
the office will prioritize the distribution of moneys.

On May 25, 2005, the CWCB adopted the Guidelinesfor the Office to Review and Evaluate Drought Mitigation
Plans Submitted by Covered Entities and Other State or Local Governmental Entities. These guidelines provided
the framework for the required plan elements as well as the process for plan review and approval by the OWCDP.
Section 9a of these guidelines called for the development of a set of additional guidelines associated with the
prioritization and distribution of grant monies for assisting covered entities and other state or local governmental
entities in their drought mitigation planning activities. Attached are those guidelines.

Summary of Proposed Guidelines
Using as a template, the recently revised (November 2006) Guidelines for Financial Assistance to Covered Entities
to Develop Water Conservation Plans, the OWCDP staff developed the proposed Guidelines for Financial
Assistance to Develop Drought Mitigation Plans. Modifications were made to focus the background, definitions,
submittal requirements, and evaluation criteria on drought mitigation planning and response activities.
Additionally, focus was aimed at short and long term impacts experienced by covered entities and state or local
governmental entities during the 2000-2003 drought.

.

Staff Recommendation
Staff is recommending Board adoption of the proposed Guidelines for Financial Assistance to Develop Drought
Mitigation Plans.

Flood Protection. Water Supply Planning and Finance. Stream and Lake Protection
Water Supply Protection. Conservation and Drought Planning