Arkansas - Upper Ark WCD Hydrologic Water Balance Study_Application

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Water Supply Reserve Account- Grant Application Form Form Revised May 2007 The boreal toad occupies subalpine riparian habitats at 7,500-12,200 feet within lodgepole pine and spruce-fir forests. Breeding begins with eggs deposited in late May-early June. The adult boreal toad is an insectivore. With 15 known breeding sites, the study area is the only Arkansas Basin habitat for boreal toads. Thirteen breeding sites are associated with the Cottonwood Creek drainage west of Buena Vista, which has the largest population of boreal toads in Colorado. The other sites are Sayre's Gulch and Fourmile Creek to the north and Brown's Creek to the south. The greenback cutthroat trout is native to the Arkansas River basin. Greenbacks favor clear, cold waters and prey primarily on aquatic and terrestrial invertebrates. Existing populations are restricted to small, remote, high elevation streams and lakes. Greenback cutthroat trout will be considered recovered when a minimum of 20 stable populations are documented to exist; at least five populations must occur in the Arkansas River basin. Two populations occur in the study area: on Maxwell Creek southwest of Buena Vista and on Hunt Creek between Hunt Lake and Boss Lake north of the South Arkansas. r. The water activity provides a high level of benefit to Colorado in relationship to the amount of funds requested. UAWCD's hydrologic water balance study provides a high level of benefit to Colorado. It leverages local and federal funds to help implement DSS. The planning process narrowed the scale of the proposed project so that it is focused onto Phase I, the Buena Vista-Salida basin. The study design has been tailored to incorporate site-specific knowledge and save money by utilizing existing data sites, including -30 domestic wells with pre-existing access agreements, and not drilling -10 new deep wells as originally proposed by the Chaffee County Water Resource Group. When the District got funding from various sources to implement its -$815,000 water project, the timing was right because this project utilizes data from UAWCD dcps at five high mountain reservoirs and nine high mountain streams. The amount of funds requested is minimal, given the benefit to Colorado. For the -$406,912 study, we are requesting only 45% or $180,000 from the Statewide. The locals are contributing -23% or -$93,000. The USGS is providing -33% or -$133,000. By awarding $180,000, CWCB will leverage -$133,000 in federal USAGS funds plus secure future funding for the Phase II and Phase III in the Upper Arkansas basin. s. The water activity is complimentary to or assists in the implementation of other CWCB programs. The water balance study is complementary to the implementation of CWCB's Arkansas Basin DSS. On November 18, 2008, UAWCD and USGS participated in a conference call with CWCB's Andy Moore and Tim Gates of CSU to make sure that the study will be both timely and complementary with: • The Colorado State University three year 2009-2011 project funded by WSRA at $875,000 for "Data Collection and Assessment in Support of Improved Water Management in the Arkansas River Basin" to gather data needed to implement the Arkansas Basin DSS; • The CWCB 2009 Scope of Work for a Feasibility Study for an Arkansas River Decision Support System for a nine month 2009 project to assess data needs and data gaps by conducting -30 interviews with water resource managers and others. Upper Arkansas Water Conservancy District (UAWCD) Page 23 of 42