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Page 2 Spring 2001 About the UGRWCD The Upper Gunnison River Water Conservancy District was estab- lished in 1959 to protect and develop the water resources of the Upper Gunnison River Basin. The District's primary goals include protecting the interests of the basin by addressing basin- wide water shortages and by opposing out -of -basin water transfer proposals. The District represents local interests by participating in discussions regarding issues such as reoperation of the Aspinall Unit, quantification of flows needed to protect the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, and quantification of flows needed to protect endangered fish. The District is also working to maintain conditional storage and direct flow water rights it holds in the basin. The board's top priorities for the coming year include protection of water users from downstream senior calls by developing information needed to support a basinwide plan for augmentation, affirming the historic use of the Taylor Reservoir second fill water right to benefit recreational, fishery and irrigation uses in the upper basin, and demonstrating diligence on the Upper Gunnison Project conditional water rights. The District also continues to maintain vigilance in protecting historic and future water uses, including monitoring legislative proposals that would result in the transfer of water out of the Upper Gunnison basin. In November of 1998, the voters in the District approved a levy of 2.000 mills on real property within the District boundaries in order to cover expenses associated with opposing Arapahoe County's Union Park proposal, basinwide planning, and protection of the Upper Gunnison Project water rights. The mill levy increase was also earmarked for building up the District's reserve fund, which is designated for basin protection purposes, drought protection, and other uses. The District has a current budget of $624,760. The board is comprised of eleven directors representing eight divisions. The Colorado Water Conservancy Act, and the UGRWCD organizational decree requires that board members be representative of geographical areas as well as population distribution. Board members are either appointed by the District Court Judge, or, if ordered by the Court, elected by the voters in the area entitled to a director. The District has conducted elections for five director's seats over the last two years.