19a ‎(2)‎

• Board Meeting Date: 1/23/2008
• Description: WSP Section - CWCB Litigation Account - Status Report
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Memo

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ATTOR:VTEY GENERAL OF COLORADO
John W. Suthers

IZeyl.e;t for E~ltenditurc frun] l.iti`;it]Orl I'tlr]lI
fi7r Pr,)tecti~~n Ot~C'ttl~tradu~s .-111(tc:ltit7ns in the t';~1(trl~lt7 Ri\t:r
I)Car E3():lr~.i \l~lrlh~r~:
1 re~lucst by this letter iht: t:til)en(iiture of-S(> l ~.-:i?. in adiiitit)n to e~penciiturc;s aireati\•
~lp~rc)ve(i by tl]e 1~l'ater Consen abut] (~():lr:i (E3oard). 1]v~r the n(:~t t\\ct fiscal years f I~1"+l~
and l~ ~'t)ti i f~ntn] tl]e I3~,ard'; I.iti`=atiul7 Fun - tu7dc:r ~~•etit,n ~-(tt }_ i _' I ('-;)(a)! i I I ). C'. R.S.
-I~hat seciiitn :uttharires lhr I?oard to e~l]enci Inr>ne\' tror-] Cl]c I.iti~~.ltion I~un(i at the rcyuat
Uf the ,L[t.7rt]::\ (ieilt:ra} f(7I' il]C ~,~`tti Iti tlCtetlii alld ~r(tICCt (.~t)1(>r:1~1t7~S al}c7LaUttlls ltf \\aier
117 Ii7tCE-SliitC itreanl> al]Ci ri\ers. I E)ehe\';' tl7ts e\I)t:nditllfe IS Ill'CCS~:11-\' t(1 IlCi4Ulliltc:l\
~l~Ettlli. li: ne,,t~lliltlt~ll~:111d lIU~1Q[iu?7. C Ult)ra~I~l~~ allUCatlltll5 Of [I7e (~ulttfa(lu K!\C1-J
fhe I3()ar(I ~~aL ~ .lf~prt)val in \(~ven71)er ~llit.~ to etpen(i 5??{>.l)Q() on C'itiitrado River
C'unl})art ;fetensc issues. In Fl"()S and I~l'l)(t, funds mainly \vere (;xpen(le(I O17 an e>;I]ert
historian lc) obtain ohscur-c (ic]ctu]7rnts relatii]~~ to the Col(rado River. In F~' Oi. !hc E3u:u-d
apprt)v~d the exI)enditure (~f~an additional S?~~.SSt) to coi7tinue do>cun7cnt ~.;atherin<< and to
hire le~~al stag! at thr I)eparU]lent <?f Lil«' t0 rt:~earCl7 <uul (craft I(:~.;al r11CIllOrallda ur7 issues
i(Icr]titica h~ thr Mate's C~)1t.)rad(? Ri\er C'(u]]i)act repr;scntati\'eti, li7~Illiilil;; the ciraltin~ of
nliec for C'(tlor:](I(> h(ndd eun]pa(-t c:nforccr7ent 1)c recluircd. "1•hc re(Iuesi also flncicii tl7e
collecti,7n.::(tdin~ an(1 in]a~~iny, of r;:lcvant (iocumcnt, tO t:reate :in :111-inclusi\ c C'(>1(7ra(ict
River database fc7r rise in ne~~=otiatiuns an(i f)otentiai liti`-atton. "l~o (iatc. S(,'t).;?? h~ls he_r]
Ctif en(fr-,I ttn tl:etie iiiel:lttlt.'~l latih5 ai \\ell a5 ttn tI]e fdtll~ (tf tl]t: ~iale~S ill(tilttt7 ll)
inter : ene in C'c'rl~~'r_/r,r ,'3ir;ln~ir'cri I~it~t'r:citr l~. I~ru•c•u,r nj j~rc'r'cl1,t~;; iru! :u]d t'(tluradu's
~.1,)l::'il.t' ;)artl:Il],1tIU11 in (•r,?L1'c'/r).t' tlc' T Jt'`'rl17'~,IIr, I: ('U/lt)1711('r, rf(' r~li'.\-!['c7(? 1'. .`~rN'!!U1 hrfUr,
the ~)' (~ircult C'ctur-t ttf~ 11~1)cals. I3ttth lh.~._, ca~c~ reultc:d ;11 ttlltt:tlI71CS fi:\ t)r,ihl~ to
(~ttlur:ulu.
I hr !)eI•artr]7ert (~f (.,:\\. \tith the ~ul)Ptn-t ttf~ti7e f3niird-s >taf~f: ~r-ttftt,~e~ that \~nl c(mtirlue
l~ttt~clin~~ uur ~fi~~trt ttt i~t:ti!c (~ttlt~ra~ltt-~ t~:;i~r un~l~'r llt~ ('t~Ettra~l<. fti\~•r ('~tnth~l~i tier
l~1~~,~ atlil 1~1't!'~. .\; .ynu klli!\\. (t~it~radu Rt.~r ct,nccrt7.; are c)fa nia,si\e srafe.
C~(~Ic)radit lei\'eC issues in7pact c\er~ basin in tht.• Stag ol~C'olura(io. The; le~~al issues \\c
runtime to tacl~le involve sc~(a7 states, the fcdc:ral ~'Overnt77ent, and the Relxlhlic t7f
~iexiru and enritt]ll)a5S t\\'Q Interstate cun7pacts. Ili] 1Rtt:rnallOna! treaty. a I .~. ~ll1)rCr]]e
(~(,urt lei i;i~,n. and a hint ttf~ f~',E~ral Ea\\:, \~ ith a hi~torlcal record stret~hut,~ hark nuirl\ a
State Ser~:ces Buiiuing • t~?-~ 5herm~n Street-7« 1.1oor • Denver, Colorado 80203
Phone (303} 866-3357 • F'.A,Y (30,) 8b6-4?45