19a ‎(2)‎

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

STATE OF COLORADO

Cvivrado Water Conservation Board
Uepartmeait of Natural Res(turces
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(.;uvcrnor
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Executive Direcwr
[ ~t; i_'ulor:ulo 1~~'ater Conservation [3oard tilembers
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Front: Randy 5ealtutrn, ~l'eti Kowalski
Date: S~ptentFer 9, 200;
Rc: :agenda Vo. H, September 18-19, 2007 Boartl Meeting,
~`'ater Sttppl} Protection -Request to obtain authorization to expend fonds frc-trt the Litihation
1+'und ro eiefend xnd protect Ct>'lurado's allocation of s~at~r fro>In the ('olctrado Ri~•er.
Bacl;.~roun(i
:1s you kno~,v, the unpreci:dertcd <trougitt in fate past seven years in tttc Colorado River t3asin has drastically towered
storage levels in Lake Pot~•ell and take Mead. :~s described in the attacfted request ticam ;he :~twmey (general's office,
storage in Lake Powell protects Colorado and the other tapper Colorado Rit-er [3asin states from having to curtail water
ttsc to nteei e;ompact delivery requirernents to the I.oa'er Colorado River Basin. .~\lt}tou;~h the seven Colorado River
Basin Mates anc; the federal government continue to discuss a variety of'ctrought respetrtse measures, and w~ have signed
agnerrcnt and draft propusa; titr the ticcrerary of hurrior's consuicration, the State needs to be prepared ti)r the
likelihood that it ~.t i'.1 i,ueci to caya~ e ill liti~; lion, ifnot in the irnntrdiate future at Fast in life next dcca<fe or nvo.
Section ~7-GO-1Z1(2.5)(a), C.R.S. provides:
-I'lte boar(i is authoric;d to'~xpefxI, pursuant to continuous appropriation and subject to the
rcyuircntcnts of paragraph (b) of this sttbscction (2.5i, a total sum not to exceed lour million
dollars front the litigation [iutd, whie:lt is herby created, far the purpose of'ettgsging in litigation:
...(Itl) "I•o defend and protect C'ulorado's allocations oF«-ater in interstate streams and rivers; and
([V) To c:ttsure the maxtmltltt bcnrllcial use of water for present and iittttre gertcrations by
;+.~1c1rt;55ltt~.? ittll)O1'tattt gUCSttOtlS Of federal late'."
;leChUII Ib) t)t Si1hSCCh011 (~.~..~} slates:
Pursuant to the spending authority set forth in paragraph (a) Ot 11115 SLthSCCilOtt (2.J), ltt(Jne'VS Ina_V
btr expend~(1 from the litiV,ation fund at the discretion of thr board if: (I) l~t%'ith aspect to the
litigation, t}tc Colorado attor-ttcy general requests that the board authorize the expcndiitrrc of
moneys in a specilicd amoutu not to cxccc:d the balance of the fund for the costs of liti~~ation
associated with one or' more specifically i(icntitied la«~suits rtrecting the criteria sett forth in
paragraph {a) of this subsection (~'.~).
Fic;od i=n;recKian • ii, atcr ~uppiv Planning and f~ inarcc • ~tteam and t akr f naecdun
1V""afar Supply Protection • Car:,erv,ttion and Urou~;hzt Pf.tnr,ing