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Colorado River Water Conservation District. November 19-21, 2003 Agenda Item Sa (Updated November 26, 2003) July through early October. The Yampa Plan considered several alternatives for providing the additional water including the enlargement of Elkhead and Stagecoach Reservoirs, use of Steamboat Lake storage water, and interruptible supply contracts for agricultural water. The Yampa Plan recommends 5,000 af to come from a dedicated augmentation pool established by enlarging Elkhead Reservoir with the balance of 2,000 af to come from a 20-year lease from the River District's pool in the Elkhead enlargement. Elkhead Reservoir currently has a capacity of 13,800 af and will be enlarged by approximately 12,000 af, 7,000 af of which will be the water users pool and 5,000 af of which will be the endangered fish pool. The River District proposes to use the additional 7,000 af to satisfy existing and future human demands for storage water. In 1999, the River District agreed to undertake the expansion of Elkhead Reservoir on its own behalf and on the behalf of the Recovery Program. Financially, the River District will be responsible for a pro rata share of costs associated with the human water supply created in the enlargement. The Recovery Program will be responsible for the share of costs for the endangered fish pool. In 2001, the CWCB made a $500,000 non-reimbursable investment to the River District for environmental permitting and preliminary engineering of the enlargement. The River District will act as project manager and agent on behalf of the Recovery Program in the pursuit of the enlargement. Feasibility Studies Dan Birch, P.E., Project Development Manager for the River District has completed the Feasibility Study. The study includes the Yampa Plan Environmental Assessment, Summary of actions by the Recovery Program Implementation Committee, the River District's Financial Statements and 20-year operating plan, and the Elkhead Enlargement Preliminary Design Report prepared by URS Corporation of Denver. The Colorado River Water Conservation District The River District was created by state statute in 1937 for the conservation, use, safeguard, and development of the water resources of the Colorado River and its tributaries to which the State is entitled under the Colorado River Compact. The River District is comprised of all or part of 15 counties that are in the northern two-thirds of the Colorado River basin. The River District has historically worked to protect west slope water interests regarding trans- mountain diversions and to obtain water rights for the development of Federal projects such as Ruedi Reservoir and the Aspinall Project. The River District has also been engaged with the development of water resources, most prominently with Wolford Mountain Reservoir, which is west slope mitigation for the Windy Gap Project. Water Riahts The River District has filed a new conditional storage right for 13,000 acre-feet (Case Number 6-02CW106) to secure water rights for the enlargement of Elkhead Reservoir, and has also claimed a direct flow right for 200 c.f.s for hydropower generation. The application does not seek to change any water rights previously decreed for storage in Elkhead Reservoir nor move any existing conditional water rights in the Elkhead watershed. The 13,000 acre-foot water right application provides a cushion for any irregularities in the design calculations of the proposed 12,000 acre-foot enlargement of the reservoir. The River District is claiming an appropriation date of October 16, 2002 for the following uses: "All beneficial uses including municipal, commercial, industrial, domestic, irrigation, livestock, power generation and cooling, wastewater treatment, piscatorial and recreational (including in-reservoir and in-river fish habitat and river flow maintenance and 2