Southeastern Colorado Water Activity Enterprise Minutes June 16 2005

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SECWAE June 16, 2005 3 RECORD OF PROCEEDING Senators Allard and Salazar are hosting a meeting of the conduit interests on July 16, at Otero Junior College at 2:00 p.m. to discuss the conduit and its financing. Official notice and invitations will be forthcoming from their offices. PSOP Mrs. Arbogast reported Mr. Broderick, Mr. Kogovsek, and she met with members of the Colorado congressional delegation June 8 and 9. It was reported to them that meetings continue between parties and the Lower Arkansas Valley Water Conservancy District and that an intergovernmental agreement is the center of the discussions at this point. The congressional delegation remains willing to wait to take action until the discussions produce agreements between the Lower District and other parties, but a level of impatience does surface with some of the members. Tamarisk Mrs. Arbogast reported a compromise bill has been reintroduced in the House and Senate on the tamarisk eradication assessment and demonstration program. Senators Allard and Salazar are cosponsors of the Senate version and Congressmen Ken Salazar and Mark Udall are cosponsors of the House bill. The Department of the Interior will be the lead agency, but will work in cooperation with the Department of Agriculture and Defense. The assessment is to be completed one year from the date of enactment. Then within 180 days after appropriation of funds for the program, the Secretary will establish a demonstration program and select and fund not less than five projects at a cost of not more than $7 million per project. The authorization provided for $20 million in FY '06 and $15 million per year through 2010. Security Costs at Reclamation Facilities Mrs. Arbogast provided the Board a copy of the language included in the Senate mark -up of the FY '06 Energy and Water appropriations bill regarding who will bear the costs of increased security at Reclamation facilities following September 11, 2001. This issue is likely to remain a topic of discussion through the conference committee on this bill, which is expected sometime between the July 4 and August recesses. In short, the language provides that a report be prepared by Reclamation with a breakout of planned reimbursable and non - reimbursable costs by project, and directs the Commissioner of Reclamation not to begin a reimbursement program until Congress directs it to be done. Feing_old Legislation Mrs. Arbogast asked Attorney Lee Miller to discuss S. 1118. Lee Miller said the Board had been provided a brief from the Family Farm Alliance on S. 1118, the Irrigation Subsidy Reduction Act of 2005 introduced by Senator Russell Feingold. The bill targets water from Reclamation project sources and would have the effect of increasing the cost of that water to most farmers receiving Project water. PSOP REPORT: Mr. Reynolds said the Lake County Recreation Study is progressing, and the next meeting is scheduled for June 21, which will include a tour of Lake County followed by a public open house that evening. Mr. Reynolds reported Colorado Springs Utilities has requested a formal excess capacity contract with the Bureau of Reclamation, due to the uncertainty of the PSOP legislation.