2007 Annual Report

• Title: 2006/2007 Annual Report to the Legislature
• Date: 10/31/2007
• Interbasin CC - Doc Type: Annual Legislative Report

Interbasin Compact Committee Annual Report
Foreword
October 31, 2007
Page 3
~Vhen complete, these processes will come together and give us a much greater understanding of the water
needs, challenges, and opportunities facing our state. They will enable better planning and decisionmaking at
the local and state level and help ensure a secure water future for all Coloradans.
Water Supply Reserve Account
As each BRT goes through this process, they are identifying projects that can help meet their water needs, but
for which additional financial support is needed. That is the purpose of the Water Supply Reserve Account
(WSRA). Through state severance tax dollars, the General Assembly is making available grants and loans to
implement water activities. Requests for funds from the ~VSRA must be approved by the local BRTs and are
then forwarded to the CWCB for evaluation and approval.
Throughout 2007, WSRA funds were used to support a variety of critical programs. For example:
The Colorado River Water Conservation District and several Front Range water providers are using
$200,000 to identify a long-term source of 10,825 acre-feet of water to meet flow recommendations under
the Endangered Fish Recovery Program for the "15-mile Reach."
• The South Platte BRT approved $176,000 for a Comprehensive Feasibility Study of Ovid Reservoir.
The Gunnison BRT approved $540,000 to assist the Orchard City Reservoir Project.
A complete list of the approved WSRA applications are included in the attached newsletters.
Fostering Interbasin Dialogue
A fundamental objective in creating the Interbasin Compact Process is the desire for basins to share
information and develop a greater understanding of not just their own needs, but the needs and pressures of
other basins as well. Only when the state has a collective and deeper understanding of all the needs in all of
Colorado's river basins will we be able to take the necessary steps to a secure water future.
To that end, there have been some exciting developments over the past year.
• The leadership South Platte and YampalVUhitelGreen Roundtables met to share perspectives on the major
water issues in each basin and to discuss a proposed Yampa Project.
• The Colorado Basin and the YampalWhite Roundtables have been working together in a joint effort to
better understand the impact of energy development on water supply needs on both basins.
• The four roundtables who comprise the Colorado River system have been meeting to discuss issues on the
Colorado River.
• The Arkansas, South Platte, and Metro Roundtables have been meeting to share their water needs and
discuss potential solutions to their challenges.
• Each Roundtable has the opportunity to present their major water issues and challenges to the IBCC. These
presentations provide an informational foundation for cross-basin dialogue.
5:11400 Technical Support Basin RoundtableslReport to Legislature120071CWCB Foreword_10-24-07.doc