Board Meeting

• Description: January 28-29,2013 Board Meeting Agenda
• Date: 1/29/2013
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Meeting

Northern Colorado Water Conservancy District and Grand County formally entered into the
• Windy Gap Firming Project Intergovernmental Agreement (WGFP IGA) on December 6,
2012 and a 1041 Permit was issued for the Windy Gap Firming Project. The agreement states:
"The Parties acknowledge that Grand County intends to time such releases for
beneficial use in a manner that results in optimizing the benefits to aquatic and
recreation resources within the County... "
c. Meets Defined Needs: This project has been identified as an important part of the area's
recreational needs by a number of parties, and this reach is included in the Colorado Basin's
nonconsumptive needs assessment and as part of Grand County's Stream Management Plan,
which was partially funded through WSRA grants.
Tier 2: Facilitating Water Activity Implementation
Funding will likely reduce the uncertainty that the project will be implemented. According to the
budget, there will be $690,700 of matching funds spent on this project during construction and for
operation and maintenance, representing 138% of the grant requests. Further, the applicant has spent
$495,414 since 2004 to bring the project to the point of implementation. This demonstrates a
significant and appropriate commitment.
Tier 3: The Water Activity Addresses Other Issues of Statewide Value and Maximizes Benefits.
The project will help meet recreational needs. However, this would be the first application for
statewide dollars for funding a whitewater park for recreational purposes. Attached is a letter to the
CWCB Board from Grand County dated December 18, 2012. This letter presents Grand County's
arguments as to why they believe this project qualifies for Statewide funds.
Discussion:
After careful review by several staff, there have.been several points of discussion. These include:
1) The timing of the grant is prior to the issuance of a RICD decree by the water court. However,
a whitewater park does not require a decree per se.
2) Not all project funds have been fully secured at this time. Grand County should secure
adequate matching funds for the project as specified in the scope of work prior to initiating
project construction.
3) The use of Statewide account dollars for construction of a whitewater park, which will likely
have a RICD decree associated with it, is a policy decision for the Board to decide.
Issues /Additional Needs:
See recommettdation below.
Staff Recommendation:
Staff recognizes that the request for $100,000 from the Colorado Basin Account has met all of the
eligibility requirements and threshold criteria of the WSRA grants from the basin roundtable account,
and therefore suggests that the Board approve the request to use the WSRA Colorado River Basin
Account to help fund the Gore Canyon Whitewater Park at Pumphouse.
Staff defers to the CWCB Board as to whether to approve up to $400,000 from the Statewide account
for this project. Use of Statewide Account dollars for construction of a whitewater park, which will
likely have a decree for an RICD associated with the whitewater park, has never been approved by
this Board, as such, this is a policy decision for the Board to decide.
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