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Page 2 <br />77CW 1328, the District shall request and obtain approval from the CWCB for such storage <br />pursuant to the provisions of 2 CCR 408 -2, Section 7...." <br />Issues <br />This Brief addresses the following issues: (1) whether additional legal issues concerning <br />inundation could be raised during an ISF hearing; (2) whether the inundation request is contrary <br />to the terms of a stipulation between CWCB and the District in Cases 07CW61 and 07CW72; <br />and (3) whether such request is premature until the District provides adequate information <br />concerning the reservoir and its impacts. <br />Recommendation <br />The Board should not hear the inundation request on Silver Creek in conjunction with the <br />ISF appropriation hearing for Morrison Creek. The Board should follow the terms of the <br />stipulation signed with the District, which provides that the Board should hear and determine the <br />outcome of the inundation request after the extent of the inundation of the CWCB's instream <br />flow right by the District's proposed Reservoir is known with some detail, and the permitting <br />process has begun. Further, the Board should hear the inundation request after the permitting is <br />in process and the mitigation requirements imposed by section 37 -60- 122.2, C.R.S. (2009) are <br />known. Nonetheless, if the Board determines that it should hear the inundation request prior to <br />the permitting process beginning or knowing the mitigation requirements, then the Board should <br />direct Staff to bring the inundation request only after more information is provided about the <br />details of the reservoir and its effects on the ISF. <br />Analysis <br />First, the Board should not hear the inundation request as part of its consideration of the <br />ISF appropriation on Morrison Creek because it would be contrary to the CWCB's own rules and <br />the plain language of section 37 -92- 102(3), C.R.S. (2009). Rule 5j.(3) of the Rules Concerning <br />the Colorado Instream Flow and Natural Lake Level Program provides that the only issues that <br />can be raised during an ISF appropriation hearing are that the natural environment will be <br />preserved to a reasonable degree by the water available for the appropriation to be made; that <br />there is a natural environment that can be preserved to a reasonable degree with the board's water <br />right, if granted; and that such environment can exist without material injury to water rights. <br />Similarly, section 37 -92- 102(3) provides that the Board shall determine at the ISF hearing "that <br />the natural environment will be preserved to a reasonable degree by the water available for the <br />appropriation to be made; that there is a natural environment that can be preserved to a <br />reasonable degree with the board's water right, if granted; and that such environment can exist <br />without material injury to water rights." It would be inappropriate to consider the issues raised <br />in the District's case on Morrison Creek during the CWCB's ISF hearing on Silver Creek. <br />Second, the Board should follow the terms of its stipulation with the District and not hear <br />the inundation request because the District has not provided adequate information to determine <br />the effects of the inundation on the ISF. The District acknowledged at the time of the stipulation <br />and again in its inundation request that it is lacking in basic information concerning the extent of <br />