13all

• Board Meeting Date: 7/22/2008
• Description: ISF Section - Lower San Miguel Water Resources Planning Study
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Memo

Colorado Water Conservation Board +, ,
Department of Natural Resources ' ~~~~°lo
1313 Sherman Street, Room 721 ~ ~Q~, ~~; ~~~d '
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Denver, Colorado 80203 ~ -~
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Fax: [phone] ~ Ig~6 * '
www. cwcb. state. co.us
Bill Ritter, Jr.
Governor
T0: Colorado Water Conservation Board Members
Harris D. Sherman
DNR Executive Director
FROM: Linda J. Bassi, Chief
Stream and Lake Protection Section Jennifer L. Gimbel
CWCB Director
Dan McAuliffe
DATE: July 14, 2008 cwcB Deputy Director
SUBJECT: Agenda Item 13, July 22-23, 2008 Board Meeting
Stream and Lake Protection --Lower San Miguel Water Resources Planning
Study
Introduction
This is an informational agenda item with no request for Board action. Dan Merriman of Harris
Water Engineering, Inc. will present the results of a study entitled "Lower San Miguel Water
Resources Planning Study." The study, which was j ointly funded by the CWCB and the
Southwestern Colorado Water Conservation District, addresses the "Uravan Water Rightsl," a
portion of which were conveyed to the CWCB in 1987, with the rest to be conveyed to the
CWCB in the future. The objectives of the study were: (1) to determine how to best utilize the
Uravan Water Rights that have been and will be conveyed to the CWCB to best meet instream
flow needs and the needs of the local communities and water users with minimal impact to the
basin; and (2) evaluate a possible water supply for the Uravan Ball Fields prior to the
conveyance of the remaining water rights to the CWCB. Abound copy of the Study is in the
back pocket of the Board notebook, or for non-Board members, attached to this memo. The
Study contains copies of documents relevant to the Uravan Water Rights.
Background
In 1983, the State of Colorado initiated a lawsuit in U.S. District Court against Union Carbide
and its subsidiaries under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and
Liability Act (CERCLA) for the release of hazardous substances from its Uravan mill in western
Montrose County. In 1984, Union Carbide formed the Union Metals Corporation (Umetco) to
address the litigation and reclamation activities at the mill site. The litigation was resolved by the
entry of a consent decree in February 1987. Under the terms of the Consent Decree, the CWCB
received a deed for the Miguel Power Company Canal water right, decreed for 240 cfs for power
generation, 200 cfs of which was decreed abandoned in 1985. Further, the Johnson Ditch water
rights and several wells were placed in a trust (Uravan Water Trust) to be used for remedial
activities at the mill and to be made available to any San Miguel River water user who claimed to
1 The Uravan Water Rights include the Johnson Ditch water rights, various wells, and the Miguel Power Company
Canal water rights, all of which were used in connection with a Union Carbide mill site in Uravan, Colorado.
Water Supply Protection • Watershed Protection & Flood Mitigation • Stream & Lake Protection • Water Supply Planning & Finance
Water Conservation & Drought Planning • Intrastate Water Management & Development