19a ‎(2)‎

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

•,t .
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ATTORNEY GENERAL OF COLORADO
John W. Bothers
October _'(,, _'Ot)'
Kct[uest Ii~r ExpendiRlre front I.iti~r,Itton huntl
fur Republican Rig er Compact t_iti~~atiun
[)car \feml)crs o#~ the C'aiorado ~t'atcr COl1Ser~'atl()11 liaard:
Ry this lcttet'. I request the expenditure of S?~().(}()() o~-er the current and next fiscal
ti ears (F1'U8 and F~ ()9) frortl the ~t'ater Conser~ ,ltit)n Board f_ ltlgation Ftltlci (Board r
pursuant to section ~,-tSO-I?1(2.~)1a)j III), C.R.S. '['hat station atlthorics the E3oard to
expend snot?ev tt'on? t}te I.ttlgation frtlntl at the request of the .attorney C;encral Eor the posts
to defend and protect C'oloraclt~'s al}c)catit)ns t~f~~~atcr ul nlterstate streams and elvers. [
belleyl' th1S expCnChtLlre 1S lle(:eSSar~' tU adCCltlatCl~' llefenli. Itl ne4~Otlatl[7I15 antl lltl~~ait011.
C'c~luradu's inic:rests in the Republican Rte er.
-I'hc ret:erlt nullti-~-car drou;,ht at]d lnt:rcasing interstate and Intrastate dcrnaltds on the
ReptlLilicall River have bad a drat?latic effect or? itri~Tatlon ~vlthln the basin. lr? 2()()3, a
Settlelllt:tlt (iccreC ~4as entered into to resolve tltc interstate litigation on tltc Republican Rig t:r,
h~msn., i•. ;'ti'i'l1rCt.~•Kcr ,rnc! Cnl'r~rcrclr), :~'v. I '( (>ri,~~rlr:tl. As a result, Colorado has retired
thousanc[s of acres i)f irri~~ated land and taken additional actions such as the partial dr,.Ilning
ofi' Bonn}' Rcscr~-oir. .<\iso, Colorado is dc~elnping enti)rcc;rnent rlllcs and exploring
~:ddiiiunai actions that ~.ve wili heed to undt:rtake to comply with the settlement decree.
Recent!}', the Kansas .~~ttol-1]cv C;eneral indretiteei that the States of Nebraska and C:oie~rado
arc n~)t t[oin~. enough tt~ a~nt[:)rt «ith the settlenle~rt decree, anct th;.ti Kan>as Intends tv
!nitla,c 11t1~~i1tl0il against those Stairs to enti)rce the decree. The State ot~Colurado nu;st be
prepared to t:urtail its uses. ,.ul~l also defend [I]e ~tatc's interest in the litigation that is
ltx>nlln_r.
~l'e anticipate that Sht)1'tl_t atter the ;)~•~~innin~r of tlt~ ~ L~Ir. f<altsas mtlV t1IC e:ullll)laint
~L it}1 the [;nitetl Mates Stlpr~~mc Court against (.'olorado t:lail]ling we have consumed rnc~re
:~atrr in t!]r [Zcptlbhcan Kier bash than ailu~ieti [)~' the; Cuntpact. tilnular l:laintti Hill he
made 1tL'(itlia? ~t'br(!~k(I. ~~ C Et}fit) IllltiClpltll' c:r(»i-~1FI1r715 fir[)nl ~t'br(rSka Elllt~~lit~ [h(lt
('uiurac[t)'s t)~eI't'Un~i!lllptlun ref eater injured ~ichraska ur ct~ntt'ihutcd to tichraska's ~ner
use. These reytltated funds will be usa[ to pay ti)r litigation expenses, including) exports to
holster C'oloratlo'.s position in the case.
State Services Building • 1~?5 Sherman Street-T~ Flag • Denver, Coiarada 8U2Q3
Phone (;i03) 866-3557 • I=AX (3U3) 866-4745