BOARD00148 ‎(2)‎

• Board Meeting Date: 3/12/2007
• Description: WSP Section - Colorado River - DEIS - Development of Lower Basin Shortage Guidelines and Coordinated Management Strategies for Lake Powell and Lake Mead, Particularly Under Low Reservoir Conditions
• 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 Ritter, Jr,
Governor

TO:

Colorado Water Conservation Board Members

Harris 0, Sherman
Executive Director

FROM:

Randy Seaholm ^"~/
Chief, Water Supply Protection ~

Rod Kuharich
CWCB Director

DATE:

March 4, 2007

Dan McAuliffe
Deputy Director

SUBJECT: Agenda Item 9, March 12-13,2007 Board Meeting:
Water Supply Protection - Colorado River - DEIS - Development of
Lower Basin Shortage Guidelines and Coordinated Management
Strategies for Lake Powell and Lake Mead, Particularly Under Low
Reservoir Conditions

1. Backe:round

At the Board's January 2007 meeting, the Board approved the 7-Colorado River
Basin State Agreement and authorized the Director ofthe Colorado Water Conservation
Board to sign the 7-State Agreement. The Board further recommended to the Governor
that Scott Balcomb, in his capacity as the Governor's representative in the negotiations,
be authorized to sign the 7-State Agreement. Approval of the proposed 7-State
Agreement was made with the understanding that: (1) there would be agreement by the
basin states on comments on the draft EIS being prepared by the U.S. Department of
Interior - Bureau of Reclamation, (2) satisfactory resolution of the Mexican Treaty
questions within the 7-State Agreement, and (3) satisfactory resolution of other issues
that may come up in the basin states proposal as the States work through the comments
on the DEIS and as the Lower Basin works through the various implementation
agreements that the Lower Basin States will have to negotiate. We would ask the Board
members to refer to January 2007 memorandum for additional background information.

NEPA Process

Part of the 7-State Agreement deals with the Secretary of Interior's Development
of Lower Basin Shortage Guidelines and Coordinated Management Strategies for
Lake Powell and Lake Mead, Particularly Under Low Reservoir Conditions. On