C150002 Approval letter

• Contract/PO #: C150002
• Contractor Name: Grand Valley Water Users' Association
• Contract Type: Grant
• Water District: 0
• Bill Number: SB 97-8
• Loan Projects - Doc Type: Approval Letter

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Colorado Water Conservation Board

Department of Natural Resources

721 Centennial Building
131 3 Sherman Street
Denver, Colorado 80203
Phone: [phone]
FAX [phone]

STATE OF COLOMDO

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MEMORANDUM

To: Colorado Water Conservation Board Members

From: peterEvansQ~~

Date: November 20, 1996

Re:

Agenda Item #18.1, November 25-26, 1996 Board Meeting--
Water Project Construction Fund - Non-Reimbursable Projects,
ENDANGERED FISH RECOVERY PROGRAM -"GRAND V ALLEY
WATER MANAGEMENT IMPROVEMENT PROJECT"

Roy Romer
Covernol

J~mes s. Lochhe~d
Executive Director, DNR

D~ries C. Life, I'E
Director, CWCR

I will recommend $1.25 million funding from the CWCB Construction Fund
Account for Fish and Wildlife Resources for a portion of the Grand Valley Water
Management Improvement Project (the "proposed project") proposed by the Recovery
Program for Endangered Fish Species of the Upper Colorado River Basin (the "Recovery
Program"). This grant to the Recovery Program would constitute the state's share of the
cost of this important recovery action item, but it raises several important issues
concerning the use of the Construction Fund and the state's role in the Recovery
Program, which will be reviewed below.

Recovery Program Background
As you know, the goal of the Recovery Program is to recover the endangered fish
while allowing water development to continue. In the regulatory context of the federal
Endangered Species Act (ESA), the "water development" component of this goal
includes the continued management of many existing projects and water supplies as well
as the development of new supplies. To meet this goal, the Recovery Program has
always depended upon the successful implementation of recovery actions by the
Recovery Program and its participating members.

With few exceptions, the Reyovery Program has met its goal and served the
purposes of Colorado's water community quite well (although it has required
considerable patience and persistence on more than one occasion). The Recovery
Program has served as the "reasonable and prudent alternative" for all small projects in