06d

• Board Meeting Date: 5/20/2008
• Description: CWCB Director's Report
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Memo

ARKANSAS RIVER WATERSHED FORUM -Several staff members attended the 2008 Forum
held in Westcliffe the last week of April. The Board contributed $2500 to help sponsor the Forum. Over
the last decade this annual event has helped build collaboration amongst Basin water users and provided
education on current water issues to local citizens. (Steve Miller)
SEO's SURFACE WATER CONSUMPTIVE USE RULES -The CWCB Director and SEO
have been meeting with agricultural water user entities throughout the Basin to explain the need for and
data supporting proposed rules to limit the potential for expanded consumptive use of irrigation water
made possible through improved irrigation efficiency. This potential is expressly prohibited by the
Arkansas River Compact, and as efficiencies are improved offsetting measures will be necessary to avoid
increased depletions to Stateline flows. A proposed agricultural efficiency rule for the Basin was first
issued last November and generated much controversy. SEO Dick Wolfe has announced his intention to
convene an advisory committee this June to work with state officials as a final version of the renamed rule
is formulated. Board staff will be assisting the SEO in this process and is already participating in a multi
agency discussion group to assess data and monitoring needs to support the rule making effort. Some of
the data to be collected and analyzed by the additional Colorado State University study to be discussed at
agenda item 25 will be used to inform the advisory group. (Steve Miller)
SOUTHERN DELIVERY SYSTEM (SDS) -The SDS is Colorado Spring's proposed pipeline
project to provide additional capacity to the existing Fountain Valley Conduit which delivers Arkansas
River water to several communities along Fountain Creek. SDS is one of the projects identified in SWSI
to meet forecast M&I needs in the Basin, and is essential to minimizing the future supply gap. Since the
applicant's preferred alternative includes a connection to Pueblo Reservoir and storage contracts utilizing
excess capacity space there, the USRB has conducted an Environmental Impact Study (EIS) of the
project. The Draft EIS (DEIS) was released in early March and comments are due in mid June. Staff has
been reviewing the study documents and attended one public presentation on the project. While the
selection of alternatives and analysis of impacts and necessary mitigation appears more than adequate we
do not anticipate filing a formal comment at this stage of the project. (Steve Miller)
OTHER ARKANSAS BASIN ACTIVITIES -Staff is involved with a number of other ongoing
activities in the Basin:
• We will be commencing a study of transit losses and developing an accounting model for the
Arkansas River between John Martin and Pueblo Reservoirs using FY08-09 severance tax funds
in cooperation with the SCWCD
• We will be commencing a study of baseline water quality data and analysis needs in the Arkansas
Basin using a FY08-09 construction fund grant in cooperation with the SCWCD and USGS
• Work has begun on a study and model development to assess channel capacity conditions and
restoration strategies on the Purgatoire River below Trinidad Reservoir in cooperation with the
Purgatoire River WCD, USBR, and the Army Corps of Engineers. CWCB's share of the initial
study costs, approximately $25,000 from the Construction Fund was just authorized in the 2008
projects bill.
• We continue to work with the Fountain Creek Vision Task Force, recipient of a $75,000 WSRA
grant to develop a refined, consensus based, assessment of consumptive and non-consumptive
water needs as part of a facilitated strategic planning effort they are conducting. A number of
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