14d ‎(2)‎

• Board Meeting Date: 7/22/2008
• Description: Directors' Reports - CWCB Director
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Memo

The bill authorizes federal grants for pilot projects to test technology that could make the water usable for
irrigation, industry or municipal use. It calls for providing federal funds, which would match up to 50
percent of the total cost, for at least one project each in Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming with
other projects possible in Arizona, California and Nevada.
A recent report by the Colorado Geological Survey found that coal-bed methane production in the
southern part of the state was depleting area water by an estimated 2,500 acre feet a year. That amounted
to roughly 815 million gallons of water that aren't returned to streams and rivers in the Raton Basin.
The agency has said the current total is likely quite a bit lower because of wells temporarily shut down in
the northern part of the basin. (Source: Associated Press)
NSTATEWIDEN
COLORADO WATERWISE COUNCIL HIRES EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR - In March
2008, the Colorado Water Conservation Board approved funding from the Water Efficiency Grant
Program for the position of Executive Director of the Colorado Water Wise Council. After an extensive
search, the Colorado WaterWise Council Board of Directors would like to announce the selection of its
first Executive Director: Dr. Paul Lander, Ph.D. Paul is well known in the conservation community,
having built the City of Boulder Water Conservation programs over the last 16 years. He was also one of
the founding members of the Colorado WaterWise Council and has been involved in board leadership
roles for the past number of years. Paul brings strong collaborative skills, extensive knowledge of water
resources and water conservation and a far reaching vision for the future of water efficiency in Colorado.
We welcome Paul to this inaugural position with the hope of creating a sustainable niche for the
promotion of water efficiency throughout Colorado.
As one of his primary duties, Paul will be creating a Colorado specific statewide Best Management
Practices (BMP) manual for water conservation practices. This BMP project is possible through a water
efficiency grant from the Colorado Water Conservation Board and will support meaningful water
conservation efforts in Colorado. For more information go to: www.coloradowaterwise.or~
(T~eva Deheza)
SPRING RUNOFF SEASON ENDS WITH ONLY ISOLATED FLOODING EVENTS -
Although 2008 was widely billed as the largest snowpack statewide in over eleven years, the recent runoff
season passed with only isolated nuisance flooding reported. Above average snowfall combined with
near-record cold seasonal temperatures in the northern and central mountains produced a snowpack of
over 150% in many small to midsize watersheds, especially in the Upper Colorado and Gunnison River
basins. Early in the season, the Rio Grande and Southwest basins reported very high snowpack conditions
as well. The most notable flooding was in the Elk River watershed, which experienced a record flow
event of nearly 7,000 cubic feet per second (cfs). Other notable occurrences included several weeks of
flood warnings for the Arkansas River at Canon City (with only nuisance flooding in open space areas
was reported), and a peak flow of 13,600 cfs on the Gunnison River at Delta (with some nuisance
flooding as well). Some basins, such as the Roaring Fork River and the East River watersheds, were
highly anticipated to experience out of bank flooding, but little flood damage occurred in either of those
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