09d

• Board Meeting Date: 3/18/2008
• Description: CWCB Director's Report
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Memo

the Hat Creek Ditch; the need to include terms and conditions to prevent injury to objectors' water rights;
the need to hold the CWCB to strict proof regarding the elements of the claimed change of water right;
and whether the water right has been abandoned.
COLORADO RIVER SALINITY FORUM APPOINTS NEW MEMBER- Nevada Governor
Jim Gibbons has appointed Anthony Miller to replace Phil Lehr as a Nevada Forum member. The
Governor wrote a letter to Commissioner Bob Johnson informing him of Miller's appointment to the
Advisory Council.
CWCB WEATHER MODIFICATION PROGRAM GUIDANCE -Attached to the director's
report (Attachment 9d-10) is a draft document that reviews the traditional role of CWCB of permitting
and monitoring cloud seeding programs and also provides a menu of options for an enhanced State
program. Staff requests guidance and the collective vision of the Board Members to finalize and adopt
this document at the May 2008 meeting. There are six active wintertime cloud seeding programs that are
commercial programs with Colorado weather modification pet nits. The guidance document explores
additional technical assistance and funding the CWCB could leverage through the seven Colorado River
Basin States. Through those agreements we have agreed to pursue water augmentation alternatives
together. A separate agreement relates specifically to wintertime cloud seeding in the Colorado River
Basin. The goal of this agreement is to assist local cloud seeding programs with grants for operations,
equipment upgrades, and limited studies and evaluations. Primary questions to consider: What is our role
between regulatory responsibilities and assisting with water development`? How do we assist local
programs`? Staff developed a short survey regarding cloud seeding programs and sent it to local water
managers to aid in developing future CWCB programs. Staff will briefly summarize the survey results
prior to the board discussion. Input and suggestions can be provided directly to staff member Joe Busto at
[e-mail] or [phone].
COLORADO RIVER SALINITY CONTROL PROGRAM -USBR has delayed completion of
its Basinwide Salinity Program Review while beginning to implement changes to improve USBR project
procurement procedures. Anew contracting procedure, Funding Opportunity Announcement ("FOA"),
was recently issued with a closing date of May 2, 2008. The FOA is soliciting new projects that might be
finalized and awarded by October of 2008. The FOA process potentially addresses one of Colorado's key
concerns with the existing USBR Basinwide Program, and we will be closely monitoring the
effectiveness of its implementation.
Specific authority to continue operating the Basin States Parallel Program, which is delivered in Colorado
by the Colorado State Conservation Board within the Colorado Dept. of Agriculture, is included in the
Senate version of the new Fann Bill which is working its way to conference committee for issues
unrelated to this provision of interest to the salinity program. This extremely popular program has been in
existence for approximately 10 years and provides a vehicle for the States to meet their required cost-
share obligation on the USDA program by using the Upper and Lower Colorado River Basin
Development Funds to implement complimentary irrigation improvement projects in Colorado,
Wyoming, and Utah.
The Work Group will meet in Phoenix on March 13-14, 2008 to complete the draft 2008 Triennial
Review of the Colorado River Water Quality Standards for Salinity. The Work Group and Forum will be
meeting with CREDA to understand questions they had with accounting of salinity program expenditures
from the Basin Funds at the May 28-30, 2008 meetings to be held in Montrose. We are still awaiting
official appointment of Jennifer Gimbel, as a Colorado member of the Forum and Advisory Council.
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