20b

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

- 9 -

. Denver Water
. Northglenn

The OWCDP has determined the Plans to be in accordance with 937-60-126 C.R.S. and the
CWCB's Guidelines for the Office to Review Water Conservation Plans Submitted by Covered
Entities. Water providers may proceed with implementation of their Plans.

Cherokee Metropolitan District is still working on modifying their Plan in accordance with the
guidelines and with 937-60-126 C.R.S. and will resubmit their Plan in the coming weeks.

Fort Morgan has received a Conditional Approval-Pending Modifications on their Plan.

The OWCDP has received and will evaluate the following Water Conservation Plans: City of
Aurora, Town of Firestone, East Larimer County Water and Wastewater and the Town of Erie.

COLORADO WATERSHED PROTECTION FUND (CWPF): The Colorado Depmiment of
Revenue reported that the collected tax check-off contribution for CWPF was approximately
$83,000 as of June 30, 2007. After the assessed fees and operating expenses have been paid to
the Colorado Division of Revenue, Checkoff Colorado, and the CWCB, approximately $68,000
would be available for this year's grants. As previously reported, the CWCB received a total of
19 applications (12 project grants and 7 planning grants) by the April 30, 2007 deadline. After
separately reviewing and scoring these applications and considering the available funds, CWCB
and WQCD staff, along with a CW A representative, developed a joint recommendation to the
CWPF Designees. In early September 2007, the Designees approved partial funding for six
applications. Additionally, the CWCB and WQCD staff investigated other sources of funding
for some of the applications. To that end, the CWCB will be funding five applications through
the Severance Tax grants and the WQCD is examining the feasibility of funding three
applications through the WQCD NPS project funding.

It is worth noting that tax return contributions for the CWPF have been declining since its
inception in 2003. Several factors may contribute to this decline, including an overall declining
trend for all tax-checkoff funds as well as inclusion of more popular funds such as Military
Family, Domestic Abuse, and Pet Overpopulation Funds in the Checkoff Colorado Program.
The threshold for any fund to remain on the Checkoff Colorado list is $75,000, collected
between January 1st and September 30th of that year. As of this writing, the collected
contribution for the CWPF since January 1st is slightly over $79,000 (the $83,000 cited above
includes contributions after October 1, 2006). This figure is dreadfully close to the minimum
threshold. Once, the revenue falls below the $75,000 mark, the CWPF will be dropped from the
Checkoff Colorado list and only a legislative action could bring the program back on line. Staff
recognizes and values the CWPF goals and objectives. This program has increased the agency's
awareness of local watershed protection efforts, which has, in turn, strengthened the CWCB' s
river restoration program. We ask that the CWCB Directors publicly acknowledge the CWPF
contribution to the protection of Colorado's natural resources and encourage their respective
constituents to donate a portion of their tax return to CWPF.

SEVERANCE TAX INTERIM COMMITTEE: DNR Executive Director Harris Sherman,
DNR Budget Director Bill Levine and I appeared before the Interim Committee's Workgroup on
August 29.

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