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Washin2ton DC Trio. June 2007. Chatfield Reallocation Summarv A political contingent representing a coalition of fifteen instream, downstream, and upstream water users along the S. Platte River, traveled to Washington DC this week in pursuit of wet water storage as part of the Chatfield Reallocation Effort. Successful meetings were held at US Army Corps of Engineers headquarters, as well as with the staff of the Congressmen and Senators from Colorado. Work on Chatfield EIS appears to be on track. The contingent expressed appreciation for continued support of Chatfield Reallocation, the $354,000 in Federal funding received for FY'07, and to reinforce the "ask" for $400,000 to move towards completion of the Feasibility Report/EIS in FY'08. Highlights included a robust discussion with the Corps to identify steps that may be coordinated to move toward signing contracts, and actual storage of wet water in Chatfield, and Sen. Allard ranking Chatfield "a priority". While Chatfield progress has been derailed in the past, it now appears support for completion of the project is in fact growing in DC. The technical committee working Chatfield Reallocation has coordinated efforts with this contingent to put a collective best foot forward. The results of everyone pulling together on this project are impressive. Chatfield Contin2ent Participants on the trip included John Hendrick (general manager of Centennial Water & Sanitation District, water provider to Highlands Ranch, and active participant in the S. Metro Water Supply Authority efforts), Jim Reasoner (past president of the Central Colorado Water Conservancy District. This group includes the Northern Colorado farmers whose wells were shut down last year. Currently about 400 wells have been restored to 30% capacity by the Court, while 750 wells remain shut down. On Tuesday, Sen. Allard announced Senate Appropriations has approved $300k to help pay for the $1.2 mm cost of installing metering on these wells. Jim mentioned that while the wells remain shut-in, 80k ac-ft of water that Colorado is entitled to under an interstate compact has been "spilled" this year due to lack of storage. John Hendrick pointed out that all of the 20,600 ac-ft of storage contemplated by the reallocation of Chatfield Reservoir could have easily filled this year during the five week period the S. Platte experienced "free river" conditions.), Mark Shively (board member at water provider Castle Pines North Metropolitan District, and President of the Douglas County Water Resource Authority, a collection of County and municipal government, water providers and water users in Douglas County focused on water resource conservation), and Tom Browning (project manager for the Colorado Water Conservation Board (CWCB) on the Chatfield Reallocation effort. CWCB is the local "non-Federal sponsor" of the project.). Technical consultant Tracy Bouvette, and federal lobbyists Marge Price, David Howlett (both Denver based), and John Lagomarcino (DC based) anchored the contingent, preparing handouts for distribution at the meetings, arranging who was visited, and scripting the comments and roles of each contingent participant at the discussions. (Rick McLoud, who has been highly instrumental in the Chatfield Reallocation process, was unable to attend this trip. Jeff Shoemaker, who has been instrumental in the political contingent efforts, was unable to attend this trip.)