Southeastern Colorado Water Conservancy District 2003 Annual Report

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,R. r v,� rpm During the year, the participants of the PSOP paid $302,562 to cover $215,191 in expenses. The 2004 budget for Excess Capacity shows a large increase in expenditures due to the commencement of the NEPA process. .t?S,K 1 The Arkansas Valley Conduit process was brought under the auspices of the Water Activity Enterprise in October of this year. The Waterworks Group approached the Enterprise Board in June, and requested that the District officially take on the process of moving the Arkansas Valley Conduit forward to eventual construction. The Board passed a resolution at the July Board meeting to accept the implementation process for the Conduit. Legislation was introduced early in 2003 by Senator Wayne Allard and Congresswoman Marilyn Musgrave. The legislation requests a 75 / 25 cost -share agreement with the Federal Government. This legislation will require the participants to repay 25 percent of the cost of building the pipeline. Lobbyist Luke Rose was instrumental in getting a hearing by the Senate Committee on Resources in October. Those to present on behalf of the Conduit included Senator Allard, Congresswoman Musgrave and the District's General Manager, James Broderick. Commissioner John Keys testified on behalf of the Bureau of Reclamation. After the hearing, some changes were made to the legislation to reflect the desires of all parties involved in the Conduit. Regarding finances for the year, the project was able to move along in large part through the contributions of the participants. During the year $91,852 was paid into the Enterprise to cover the expenditures of $83,713. The largest use of funds were for lobbying expenses for the legislation process and for engineering. The Bureau of Reclamation began a Reevaluation Statement process to review the feasibility, costs, and operations of the Arkansas Valley Conduit. Because the Conduit was initially authorized as part of the original Fryingpan— Arkansas Project in 1962, Reclamation requires an update study before allowing the Conduit to be constructed. The study is expected to be completed before the federal fiscal year -end of 2004. In a show of support for the Arkansas Basin, the Colorado Water Conservation Board passed a resolution in support of the Conduit in late 2003. A compilation of water providers was generated by C.O. (Short) Watters in October of 2003. The report lists all of the water providers that may benefit from the Conduit as well as their contacts, number of taps, and estimated populations. In late 2003 a Business Plan was drafted, amended, and approved (in early 2004) by the whole water providers committee. This Business Plan laid out an advisory committee to work with the Enterprise as the process moves forward. The members of the committee are: Joe Kelley — La Junta, David Simpson — St. Charles Mesa Water District, Dannie McMillan — Lamar, Joe Petramalla and Elmer Bauman — Small Water Users Group, Kenny Wagner — Bent County, Matt Heimerich — Crowley County, Wayne Whittaker — Otero County, Claude Shultz — Prowers County, and one representative to be decided from Pueblo County water providers. 0 24•