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• John Showcroft (Alamosa - LaJara Water Conservancy District, Vice- <br />President) <br />• Lynn Kopfman <br />• Bob Zimmerman <br />• Dale Pizel <br />Four of the nine RGWCD Board members are shareholders in ditch companies on the Rio <br />Grande. <br />Activities <br />The RGWCD has been involved in many projects and activities on behalf of District water users <br />during the past years. These include <br />• Represented Colorado water users in the New Mexico v. Colorado <br />Supreme Court Case; <br />• Prevented the need for River Master on Rio Grande; <br />• Extended the Norton Drain and Bountiful Drain to claim more return <br />flows to the Rio Grande for Compact purposes (approximately 5,000 af; <br />• Lobbied for and acquired federal legislation to create the Closed Basin <br />Project -Non-Reimbursable and will be turned over to RGWCD <br />sometime in the future; <br />• Initiated the artesian well capping and valuing program along with the <br />CWCB; <br />• Installed approximately 70 shallow aquifer observation wells; <br />• Borrowed approximately $472,000 to oppose the AWDI application; <br />• Began gathering data from existing confined aquifer, stock water and <br />irrigation wells in 1983; <br />• Initiated cooperative water quality projects; <br />• Undertook water quality stream classification studies; <br />• Participates in numerous political activities at local, State and Federal <br />levels; <br />• Detailed cataloging and mapping of agricultural lands in portions of the <br />basin; and <br />• Miscellaneous studies on groundwater hydrology and other agricultural <br />issues. <br />Closed Basin Project <br />One of the major undertakings and accomplishments of the RGWCD was the passage of <br />Congressional Legislation authorizing the construction of the Closed Basin Project and securing <br />the necessary funding. This project was designed to provide up to 100,000 acre-feet of salvaged <br />shallow aquifer groundwater to be used for Rio Grande Compact obligations to New Mexico, as <br />well as minor deliveries to the Alamosa National Wildlife Refuge and Blanca Wildlife Habitat <br />Area for mitigation purposes. The United States Department of Interior Bureau of Reclamation <br />constructed the Project, and at the present time operates and maintains most of the Project. A <br />cooperative agreement was entered into between the RGWCD and the Bureau of Reclamation in <br />1989 which envisions the District eventually taking over the operation and maintenance of the <br />Project. <br />C:Acdss\RGWCD.doc Rio Grande Water Conservation District Interview May 10 -Page 2 of 4 <br />