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't' . . e.; .. All was well with this winter's mountain snowpack until March, said Colorado River Water Conservation District water resource specialist Mike Eytel. Going into March, the Colorado River Basin snowpack was at 95 percent of normal. Some areas were lower, such as the Yampa River basin, which was at 65 percent of average. Some basins, the Blue and upper Colorado in particular, stood at more than 100 percent. However, the warm weather has changed that picture. Snowpack for the Roaring Fork River basin stood at 77 percent this week, said Sharon Clarke, water resource specialist for the Roaring Fork Conservancy in Basalt. Read more at: http://www.aspentimes.comJarticle/20070328/NEWS/103280044 Water allocation talks resume with mediator: A professional mediator has taken on the task of ending the century-old water wars between Colorado's Front Range and the Western Slope, renewing efforts to find a "global solution" for dividing a limited resource. John Bickerman, an attorney from Washington, admitted he was "parachuting into an ongoing war" when he met Monday for the first time with about 40 officials from the Denver Water Board and a panoply of water providers from west of the Continental Divide. The historic divisions are entrenched and exacerbated by the ever-increasing demand for water on both sides of the Divide. Western Slope water entities - including the Colorado River Water Conservation District, county governments and water users - first proposed a water-sharing plan in May 2005. Officials from Denver Water, however, have been hesitant to negotiate, fearing that any deal might compromise the agency's ability to provide water to its 1.1 million customers, a figure that is expected to grow to 1.9 million by 2050. Many on the Western Slope long have resented the loss of water to the Front Range through elaborate reservoirs and pipelines and hope to ensure that enough water exists to maintain fisheries, irrigate meadows and attract tourists even while Denver tries to increase its draw from the Fraser River and Dillon Reservoir. Central Arizona Project (CAP) mainstem diversion: On March 29,2007 we received notice from the CAP informing us that contrary to language contained in Section 301 of the 1968 Colorado River Basin Project Act they intended to divert from Lake Havasu at rates greater than the 2,500 cfs limitation imposed on them in the 1968 Act. Diversions to CAP are limited to a maximum of 2,500 cfs unless Lake Powell is spilling or releases from Lake Powell are required pursuant to provisions in 602(a) of the 1968 Act. The Upper Colorado River Commission will be developing an Upper Basin response to the letter at its June 19-20, 2007 meeting in Park City, Utah. We are also looking into the matter further, but as of this time the CAP position is clearly contrary to the 1968 Act and we believe should be objected too. California has already responded back that while such operations might be considered in the category of good water management, under a strict legal interpretation such operation is not allowed. 19