Arkansas minutes 3-14-07 Minutes

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Arkansas Basin Roundtable Meeting of March 14, 2007 Meeting Notes 1. Roundtable Business Chairman Hamel convened the meeting , making note of his decision to cancel the February meeting due to inclement weather. Several roundtable members commented that the decision was a correct one. A quorum was established with 38 members present. Jim Broderick moved, and Charles Beard seconded a motion to approve the January 10, 2007 minutes 2. IBCC Reports Jeris Danielson and Wayne Vanderschuere both offered insi ghts on the February IBCC meeting, the first since Harris Sherman had been appointed Director of Natural Resources . Jeris remarked that the dialogue was very good, with Director Sherman asking several insightful questions. A s a member of the Education Comm ittee, he stated that the IBCC was working on a website independent of DWR. Wayne observed that the s tructure of IBCC might change. He also expressed support for a multi - basin study of the Colorado River issues. Eric Hecox added that the th March 30 meeting of IBCC would attempt to set an agenda for the balance of the year. He also offered the continuing support of the IBCC offi ce for basin needs assessments. Mr. Bill Womack of Applegate Group was in attendance as part of the CDM team contracted to provide H B 1400 staff support of roundtables. 3. Subcommittee Reports A. Bylaw s subcommittee. No activity since the last meeting. B. Groundwater Subcommittee. The Alluvial Aquifer Study required under SB 193 was completed on March 1, 2007. The web address a nd some information were provided on a display board for interested persons. Gary Barber distributed a copy of HJR 1017 which encourages the Arkansas Basin Roundtable to examine artificial recharge and offered some history behind the resolutio n. In coopera tion with the roundtable, the El Paso County Water Authority is organizing a conference for fall , 2007 on that topic. C. Transfers Guideline Subcommittee. The committee determined to meet immediately after the roundtable meeting to set a date for a pos sible full - day working session. D. Needs Subcommittee. Jay Winner reported that the CWCB approved three (3) Arkansas Basin SB 179 requests at their March meeting: Arkansas Valley Conduit, Tamarisk and Upper Black Squirrel Recharge Study. The roundtable officers in attendance at the CWCB meeting chose to withdraw the Needs Matrix funding request in order to reconcile some discrepancies. The goal is to resubmit that funding request in the future. Eric Hecox commented that the threshold criteria of the W ater Reserve Account required some finished product, like a study, in support of the request. Every funding request approved by CWCB was approved with conditions. Harold Miskel offered that the CWCB heard from many attendees at the meeting about concerns with the process. After much internal discussion, he and ABRT Min utes 1 March 14, 2007