20b

• Board Meeting Date: 9/18/2007
• Description: CWCB Director's Report
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Memo

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See Attachment 22b-7 for more information.

DNR DEVELOPS COLORADO CLIMATE CHANGE PLAN INCORPORATING
WATER ADAPTATION STRATEGIES: Recently the Department of Natural Resources
Executive Director's Office (EDO) requested that CWCB develop a comprehensive water
adaptation strategy aimed at preparing Colorado and water users for climate change impacts to
water supplies. Attached is the draft water adaptation component ofDNR's Colorado Climate
Change Plan submitted to the EDO for review. Ultimately a water adaptation component will be
included in the larger Climate Change Plan for presentation to the Governor. Much effort went
into developing plan objectives that are reasonable, achievable, and important to pursue action
on despite the ongoing debate over the range of possible climate change scenarios that may play
out in Colorado. The plan is attached as number 22b-4. Please feel free to provide staff with
your comments, concerns, and edits.

CWCB STAFF ESTABLISHES SUBCOMMITTEE TO ASSIST IN DEVELOPMENT OF
CRITERIA FOR AL TERNA TIVE AGRICULTURAL WATER TRANSFER METHODS
GRANT PROGRAM: In July, the Board was provided with an initial draft of criteria and the
"design" of the alternative agricultural water transfer grant program in the Arkansas and South
Platte basins. Staff has solicited paIiicipation from water interests in both basins. A meeting
was held on September 13. Invited participants included: Brad Wind, Northern Water, Manuel
Montoya, FRICO, Dan Henrichs, Highline, Peter Nichols, Lower Arkansas, Dan Smith, Colo.
State Univ., Bmce Lytle, Parker Water, Joe Frank, Lower South Platte, Division 1 &2 SEO's
Tom Iseman, Nature Conservancy, Jim Miller, Department of Agriculture, Mark Pifller, Aurora,
Leo Eisel, Brown and Caldwell, Harold Evans, Greeley.

TAMARISK CONTROL UPDATE: The Board's Finance Sub-Committee will be reviewing a
constmction fund request to create a $1 million invasives control grant program that would be
managed in cooperation with the Tamarisk Coalition. This request arises out of the failure in the
last session of the General Assembly to secure $1 million per year in severance tax funds for use
by the Colorado Dept. of Agriculture for this purpose. The Board will be funding $82,500 in
planning assistance to watershed groups in FY07-08 in conjunction with the Tamarisk Coalition.
The Coalition has completed the map and inventory project utilizing both constmction fund and
severance tax funding. We now have digital and hard copy maps of all of the major basins for
use in GIS systems and more convenient distribution and sharing of the inventory data and final
project documentation and accounting. The Tamarisk Coalition will be holding its bi-annual
symposium in Grand Junction on October 24-26. Symposium information will be available at
the Board meeting and can also be obtained at the following link:
http://www.coopext.colostate.edu/TRA/Special/2007Tamarisk/2007Tamarisk.htm
The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) has announced a $1 million Colorado
Invasive Plant Program as part ofEQIP in FY 2008. Tamarisk and Russian Olive are two of the
eligible species for control on private lands where a suitable community control plan is in place.
Finally, we recommended to the Governor's Office that he endorse the Colorado Headwaters
Invasives Partnership (CHIP) Plan for controlling tamarisk and Russian Olive in the Colorado
River Basin. We based our recommendation on the following and will be sending a letter to this
effect to the CHIP:

Flood Protection. Water Project Planning and Finance. Sn-eam and Lake Protection
Water Supply Protection. Conservation Planning