11d ‎(2)‎

• Board Meeting Date: 11/18/2008
• Description: CWCB Director's Report
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Memo

PRESENTATION TO SAN MIGUEL COUNTY COMMISSIONERS: On October 22, 2008,
CWCB staff gave a presentation on the pending San Miguel River ISF recommendation to the County
Commissioners of San Miguel County at a public work session in Norwood, Colorado. Dan Merriman of
Harris Engineering, Inc. also gave a presentation on the Umetco water rights. The County Commissioners
asked several questions and heard public comments on both presentations. (Linda Bassi)
SAN JUAN RECOVERY IMPLEMENTATION PROGRAM (SJRIP) -HYDROLOGY
MODEL: The use and functionality of SJRIP Hydrology Model has been a controversial subject since
its development shortly after the SJRIP was created in 1992. Improvements in the model have been made
over the years and the model is now undergoing a third major overhaul in addition to being moved in its
entirety onto the new RiverWare platform being used by Reclamation and the US Fish & Wildlife Service
(Service).
There has also been concern over how the model was being used in the ESA Section 7 Consultation
process, sometimes appearing to be the only information the Service relied onto determine whether or
not a project made it successfully through the Section 7 Consultation process. The SJRIP and the
hydrology model have come a long way in the past few years. While the hydrology model remains a key
tool in Section 7 consultations it no longer is the only tool. Furthermore, the Service has been willing to
work with the SJRIP participants to further refine how the hydrology model is implemented in order try
and avoid the long standing controversy between Colorado and New Mexico on baseline conditions and
to avoid having one major project, such as the Navajo Indian Irrigation Project, be the major reason for
any new projects failure to meet the flow recommendations.
Board staff is now involved in a SJRIP process to develop guidance for the Service that will look at use
and development of projects 20 or 25 years out as opposed to only at full development. If this can be
successfully accomplished this will make it easier to bring projects through Section 7 Consultations and
rely more heavily on the SJRIP as the "reasonable and prudent" alternative to offset project impacts as
was originally intended. This is new territory for the SJRIP and we will keep you posted from time to
time on the progress of this effort. (Randy Seaholm)
~YAMPA/WHITE RIVER BASINS
ENERGY DEVELOPMENT WATER NEEDS ASSESSMENT, PHASE I REPORT: The
Colorado and Yampa/White Roundtables Energy Subcommittee completed a Final Draft Phase I report.
The report analyzes direct water demands for natural gas, coal, uranium, and oil shale development in
Northwest Colorado. The study also examined indirect water demands and thermoelectric power
demands associated with energy development. Finally, the report contains a preliminary review of
conditional water rights for energy development. The report will be available on the Colorado Basin
Roundtable's website. It is anticipated Phase II of the study will begin in January, 2009. Phase II will
specifically explore various alternatives to identify and quantify reliable water supplies to meet these
energy water demands.
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