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CDOW and SMR, with resulting increases in the ability to store transmountain water, and with improved <br />water management options for irrigation, recreation, and riparian health in general. <br />In the Rio Grande Basin, water is overallocated, demands are growing, and river flows and uses are <br />vulnerable to drought and climate change. By addressing and solving deficiencies in the System, SMR <br />provides important multi-use safeguards for the uncertain times which lie ahead. <br />The applicant has received letters of support from the following counties: Mineral, Hinsdale, Alamosa, and <br />Rio Grande. In addition, letters of support from CDOW, San Luis Valley Irr. Dist., and Rio Grande Water <br />Users Assoc. have been included in the application. <br />Threshold and Evaluation Criteria <br />The project meets the basin threshold criteria because it studies the potential for improving the delivery of <br />water to users in the basin in a more efficient manner. The project was approved unanimously approved by a <br />quorum of roundtable members on June 10, 2008. <br />The statewide benefit of this project is an increased storage capacity in Continental and Santa Maria which <br />provides new options to store and control additional Rio Grande Compact water, increasing SMR's ability to <br />hold irrigation water during high water regimes, increasing the two-reservoir system's value in flood control, <br />and expanding opportunities to serve the water storage and management objectives of third parties. This meets <br />the Evaluation Criteria for Statewide funding. <br />Discussion: <br />This application addresses one of the major water supply issues identified by the Rio Grande Roundtable - <br />rehabilitating reservoirs to increase storage. The application does not address how the Company will pay for <br />improvements identified in the study. It also appears that part of the effort may duplicate work done in the <br />Rio Grande Reservoir Study. The applicant should coordinate the efforts of the two studies. <br />Issues/Additional Needs: <br />Applicant shall provide a standalone Scope of Work along with a detailed breakdown of the engineering <br />tasks identified in the application. <br />If the Company has developed preliminary financing mechanisms to pay for improvements identified in the <br />study, please provide them. <br />Staff Recommendation: <br />The application is well prepared and the proposed project furthers the Rio Grande Basin Roundtable's needs <br />assessment. It also helps addresses a critical water supply need in the basin. Staff recommends approval of <br />up to $50,000 from the Rio Grande Basin Account and $141,700 from the Statewide Account to help fund <br />the Santa Maria & Continental Reservoirs - Rehabilitation & Multi-use Study contingent on resolution of the <br />item in the issues/additional needs section. <br />All products, data and information developed as a result of this grant must be provided to CWCB in hard <br />copy and electronic format as part of the project documentation. This information will in turn be made <br />widely available to Basin Roundtables and the general public and will help promote the development of a <br />common technical platform. <br />2