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2000 -01 Winter <br />Water Program/ <br />Project Water <br />Supply <br />The 2000 -01 Winter Water <br />Program began at midnight on <br />November 14, 2000. From <br />November 14, through December <br />15, participants of the Winter <br />Water Program have stored 42,920 <br />acre -feet. 14,534 acre -feet of <br />Winter Water are stored in Pueblo <br />Reservoir and 9,286 acre -feet are <br />stored in John Martin Reservoir <br />and 19,100 acre -feet are stored in <br />off - channel storage. Last year at <br />this time the Winter Water <br />Program had stored 55,934 acre - <br />feet, which is indicative of the dry <br />conditions experienced this year. <br />At this time, there are <br />approximately 77,000 acre -feet of <br />available storage space in Pueblo <br />Reservoir. Reclamation is <br />delivering Project Water from <br />Turquoise and Twin Lakes <br />Reservoirs to Pueblo Reservoir to <br />provide storage space in the <br />upstream reservoirs for next year's <br />imports of Project Water. Based on <br />current estimates there will be <br />sufficient conservation storage <br />space available at Pueblo <br />Reservoir for the Winter Water <br />Program. The cost of Winter Water <br />stored in Pueblo Reservoir during <br />the 2000 -01 program is $3.05 per <br />acre -foot, which includes a $0.25 <br />per acre -foot Safety of Dams <br />Surcharge. Charges are determined <br />on maximum storage during the <br />program and are non - refundable. <br />Storage space for Winter Water in <br />the off - channel storage vessels and <br />John Martin Reservoir should also <br />be sufficient to store available <br />Winter Water under the program, <br />See WATER (Continued on page 5) <br />2001 Budget Approved <br />At the December Board <br />meeting the 2001 budgets for <br />the District and the Water <br />Activity Enterprise were <br />approved. Reflecting the <br />growth in the region over the <br />past year, this year's budget will <br />provide $4,096,904.00 for <br />payment towards Operations & <br />Maintenance, and contract <br />repayment to the Bureau of <br />Reclamation. <br />With the new office building <br />completed, the District will now <br />concentrate on implementing <br />the Preferred Storage Options <br />Plan (PSOP). In 2001 we will <br />begin the process of obtaining <br />authorization for Re- operations <br />and concurrently begin the <br />process of gaining authority for <br />the future enlargement of <br />Pueblo Dam and Reservoir. <br />A new and significant part of <br />the budget is the continued <br />development and maintenance <br />of our Xeriscape garden. Under <br />the watchful eye of our <br />coordinator, Jean Van Pelt, the <br />garden is expected to be a <br />beautiful educational tool for <br />our District constituents. We <br />have budgeted about $28,000 <br />towards the garden to develop <br />interpretative signage and a <br />brochure. <br />Another budget item receiving <br />some extra attention in 2001 <br />will be the River Administration <br />and Water Education portion. <br />We will be updating the District <br />brochure and video, adding <br />some photos and pictures of the <br />Fry -Ark system to our new <br />office and helping to <br />commemorate Tommy <br />Thompson, past general <br />manager for SECWCD, at the <br />0 <br />HARP Project in downtown <br />Pueblo. <br />Finally, the Water Activity <br />Enterprise has two new items in <br />its mixture. With the <br />termination of the Water and <br />Storage Needs Assessment <br />Enterprise, the Water Activity <br />Enterprise will take over with <br />the implementation of the <br />Preferred Storage Options Plan. <br />Additionally, it will be a <br />significant player in the <br />Arkansas Valley Pipeline study <br />that will hopefully go forward <br />in 2001. <br />Overall the District is <br />expecting about $8,465,000 in <br />revenues and will expend about <br />$8,052,000. The Water <br />Activity Enterprise expects to <br />earn about $1,300,000 in <br />revenues while expending about <br />$1,150,000. Budgeting a net <br />increase in $410,000 fund <br />balance for the District and <br />leaving a fund balance increase <br />of $150,000 for the Water <br />Activity Enterprise. <br />So 2001 is shaping up as a <br />challenging year for the staff as <br />we switch the PSOP plan into <br />high gear. The Safety of Dams <br />repairs are behind us and we <br />can now concentrate on paying <br />off the irrigation portion of <br />those repairs. The enlargement <br />of Pueblo Dam still has much to <br />be worked out and will require <br />the staff to put forth their best <br />effort. All this while still <br />looking to the future as the <br />lower part of the District studies <br />whether to move forward with <br />their pipeline. 2001 here we <br />come! <br />Written by: Phil Reynolds, <br />SECWCD, CFO <br />