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Section 6 Implementation and Recommendations for Colorado's Water Supply Future The Board's Instream Flow (ISF) Subcommittee or the Board as a whole will continue to address key issues that it identified during the 2005 revision of the Stream and Lake Protection Section's Strategic Plan. These issues included, but were not limited to: an enhanced public notification process and involvement evaluation; injury with mitigation policy, which the subcommittee discussed over the past year; analysis of issues associated with state-line flows and water availability. The later issues are especially important when recommending entities propose ISF segments in lower stream reaches. remaining. The map updates make use ofstate-of-the- art GIS and computer modeling techniques, and should greatly assist with wise floodplain management and land use decisionmaking at the local level. Another important effort involves a creative and cutting edge process to reallocate existing flood control storage space, within a major federal reservoir, to water supply storage space that would benefit municipal and agricultural interests along the Front Range. The study includes complex technical analyses, reservoir modeling, environmental and water quality evaluations, recreational impacts, and substantial collaboration by the CWCB, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE),15 participating water users, and a wide variety of project proponents advocating upstream, instream, and downstream benefits of the project. The CWCB provides overall coordination as the non-federal sponsor to the USACE to help ensure that the targeted storage space is obtained. The CWCB is in the process of renewing an Interagency Agreement (IGA) with the Division of Wildlife (DOW) that will be effective through June 30, 2009. The IGA documents the DOW's annual contribution of $296,027 from the Wildlife Cash Fund to the CWCB for implementation of a portion of the Instream Flow and Natural Lake Level Program. While DOW has provided this annual funding since 1978 without such an agreement in place, DOW requested that the CWCB enter into the IGA to address federal audit issues. To ensure stable and independent funding at some point in the next 2 years, the CWCB may elect to submit a decision item to provide long-term stability funding for the instream flow program. Flood Protection Section The Flood Protection Section implements floodplain map modernization activities throughout the state. An estimated $6 million Highlights: I in federal grants have • Habitat Restoration been awarded for • Watershed Protection Colorado's benefit thus • Watershed Tax far, with several years of major funding allocations Stream and watershed restoration work has been greatly expanded in Colorado due to increasing interest at local levels as well as consistent funding through the CWCB and other sources to complete high priority studies and projects. A relatively new source of funds became available when the Colorado Watershed Protection Fund was enacted, naming the CWCB as one of the key executors of the fund This fund receives revenue from elected State Income Tax "checkoff." Given the growing importance of environmental and recreational uses for water, this program has significant potential to grow over the coming years. The Fish and Wildlife Resources Fund can also be utilized to study or implement watershed restoration activities or to purchase water rights for environmental protection or enhancement within areas affected by existing water supply projects. 6-8 PRELIMINARY DRAFT