Laserfiche WebLink
a. CWCB Executive Director. John Redifer reported that the CWCB has not yet appointed an <br />executive director (since then, Jemlifer Gimbel has replaced Rod Kuharich as the new <br />Executive Director. Taylor Hawes of the Colorado River Water Conservation District was <br />one of four finalists. <br />b. Set aside 20% of Severance Tax revenues for water storage projects. The CWCB is <br />considering adopting Policy Number 18, which would pernut the CWCB to set aside 20% of <br />its revenues form the Severance Tax Trust Fund Perpetual Base Account for water storage <br />and rehabilitation projects. The fiends can be spent for feasibility study costs, engineering <br />and surveying costs, land acquisition costs, and project construction costs. The CWCB <br />would receive a share of the water rights established by such projects and could then sell or <br />lease the water in order to be returned its investment in the project. <br />c. CWCB currently owns only Instream Flow ri~l~, lts. At this point, the CWCB owns water <br />rights only for Instream Flow (discussed at the June 2007 CBRT meeting). <br />d. CWCB would become a water provider. Rachel Richards, Pitkin County Commissioner, <br />expressed concern that the CWCB could become a water provider as opposed to being a <br />water developer, and that the CWCB could have a stake in promoting growth or transferring <br />water to the Denver and the Front Range. <br />Should water policy drive growth or vice versa? Jolu1 Redifer stated that Policy 18 raises <br />this fundamental question; in the past, growth has driven water policy in Colorado. He stated <br />that Policy 18 would permit the CWCB to promote water projects. The CWCB has a low <br />interest constn~ction loan program that supports water storage construction projects, but it <br />lacks money to promote projects. Colorado has no centralized water policy; rather, water is a <br />private property right guaranteed by its appropriation priority, and this drives water project <br />decisions in a decentralized fashion. Policy 18 would permit the CWCB to promote projects <br />that it previously has not been able to do. <br />f. Severance tax politics. Louis Meyer recommended that severance tax revenues should be <br />used to support Western Slope communities that bear the brunt of energy development, to <br />pay for social services, traffic mitigation, and water and waste water projects. Dave Merritt <br />suggested this was ui~lilcely, since more powerful Eastern Slope interests are eying the money <br />for higher education, K-12 fiinding, and transportation. He doubted the Western Slope has <br />the clout to direct the funds to Western Slope communities. <br />g. CBRT position on this should be discussed at the December CBRT meeting. Jolu1 requested <br />that the CBRT debate the merits of Policy 18 at the December 17 roundtable meeting. <br />7. Discussion over delaying transbasin diversions until the Water Availability Study and Non <br />Consumptive Needs Assessment are completed. <br />a. Dela~lobal settlement. Chuck Ogilby recommended that the CBRT vote to recommend <br />that the global settlement being mediated by John Beckerman be delayed until the WAS and <br />NCNA studies are completed. <br />b. HB 1177 prohibits interference with water rights. Dave Merritt stated this is prohibited by <br />HB 1177 which states that roundtable actions caiulot interfere with existing water rights or <br />their transfers. <br />I:AInterbasin Compact Coimnittee~Basin Roundtables\Colorado~Minutes~Ivlumtes Nov 2007 CBKT.doc 2 l2~- <br />