June 10 South Platte Minutes.docx

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--Sasha Charney: How about the Elk Head project; that would be interesting. --Sue Morea: Re: Front Range letter to western slope to invite them to look at alternatives: West Slope roundtable chairs are discussing what this will take to j oin our efforts; conference call upcoming; and the west slope roundtables should be forth coming. --Chris T. from Colorado River Basin: All 3 chairs have signed this and therefore the letter is forthcoming; first step: response: yes, we see need of getting together; time mgmt important; therefore would make sense for chairs to get together in order to address details. --Republican River Update: Mike Shimmin: There has been some tension pending brought by surface water owners north of Wray; scheduled to be in administrative hearing, there has been a settlement in the case: existence of the settlement, largely result of efforts by Dick Wolfe to get parties together to provide formal mediation process, progressed to settlement: essence: ground water users in basin are going to buy out surface water rights that were bringing this claim; funding package is basically a $20 million package; $7 million comes from Republican WCD through lease of water rights that would be used to meet compact and $13 million from Yuma Cty water authority from bond; needs to be approved in election this fall; thus, hearing has been postponed and has been rescheduled with hope that the bonding election passes; if this passes, over; if election does not pass, back to litigation; interesting to see how we in CO can find ingenious ways to solve problems. If Yuma Cty people vote for bond, the legal issues will go away. From ground water user sides, the uncertainty of ongoing litigation for years provided motivation. Best not to roll dice vis a vis litigation uncertainty. --Dick Wolfe: Republican River Basin: will be promulgating Republican River Rules this summer; pipeline construction commences this fall; water in river by next fall; CWCB approved funding which is a good step to going forward with compact ;represents 98% of active rights; 1200 acres represented; --Jerke: Therefore: Well users are huge group, yes? --Mike Shimmin: Asserting that the basin average should be redrawn to an extent that would shut down large scale commercial feedlots, 1200 ac ft --Bruce Gerk: At stake on groundwater's side is that the remaining wells would not have been able to financially stand gap between this and the compact compliance. --Don Ament: DOW fish hatchery? --Dick Wolfe: DOW is looking at some pump back projects to sustain this operation; they have an option on the table to keep that hatchery open; Jim Yahn: $7million, where will they get that?