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STATE OF COLORl\DO OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR 136 State Capitol Building Denver, Colorado 80203 (303) 866 - 2471 (303) 866 - 2003 fax January 25,2008 Bill Ritter, Jr. Governor Jeff Shoemaker Executive Director The Greenway Foundation 1040 South Gaylord Street, Suite 201 Denver, Colorado 80209 Dear Mr. Shoemaker: On behalf of the State of Colorado, I write to express support for the efforts of the Colorado Water Conservation Board and the Chatfield Reservoir Reallocation Coalition to secure federal funding for the Chatfield Reservoir Reallocation Environmental Impact Statement. As the local sponsor for the project, the Colorado Water Conservation Board is working in conjunction with the U.S. Almy Corps of Engineers to complete work on the EIS. As Colorado continues to grow, paliicularly in the Denver metropolitan area, we must look at the resources we have to detennine whether we can put existing infi:astructure to better use. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has detelmined that Chatfield Reservoir can accommodate an additional 20,600 acre feet of water storage without limiting its usefulness as a flood control structure. This additional storage space will be used by a group of water providers, fam1ers and environmental organizations to meet the diverse needs of our growing state. It is imperative that the current EIS move fOlward in a timely fashion. It is critical that federal funding for the EIS be available to complete this important study. This once-in-a-generation opportunity enjoys broad support from municipal, agricultural and envirollillental interests. . It will make use of an existing water storage facility. . It will not require construction of a new water storage facility. . It may bring significant revenues to the federal treasury. · The water will originate from snowmelt and stOllliwater mnoff within the South Platte River Basin and will be captured and stored in Chatfield. · It will provide additional water for N0l1heast Colorado fanners to help meet critical irrigation needs. · It will help cities and special districts meet drinking water and other municipal needs both above and below Chatfield. . It will provide opportunities for environmental and recreational enhancements along the South Platte River in the 53-mile Denver urban river corridor fi'om Chatfield Reservoir to below the Adams County- Weld County line.