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r- J PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE WE FIND OURSELVES HALFWAY THROUGH THE FIRST DECADE OF THE 21ST CENTURY WITH MANY DAUNTING CHALLENGES FACING THE NORTHERN COLORADO WATER CONSERVANCY DISTRICT. Growth continues throughout the state, placing new demands on a finite water resource. Finding solutions to water issues that work for all is going to be dif- ficult and complex. The story on a recently released state- wide water study in this issue illustrates how many different points of view there are. Presently the District has significant new East Slope projects in the planning and permitting stages. The articles on pages 7 and 12 discuss these projects. They could solve many water sup- ply problems for communities within District boundaries. Our charge is to expeditiously as possible start moving dirt and building new infrastructure. Northeastern Colorado and the state cannot survive without building new projects to meet new demands. It would be irresponsible to ignore the changes and pretend to do business as usual. The District Board and staff are committed to meeting the water management needs of the region. At the same time, we have a respon- sibility to maintain the existing project facilities. The C -BT Project is in very good condition, but it is still an aging project that needs constant attention. The District spends considerable capital on maintenance and modernization which will only increase in the future. It is critical to budget these improvements for the reliability of our water deliver- ies. Read the article on page 6 for an example of our commitment. The recent Horsetooth Reservoir dam modifications were done with signifi- cant federal aid through Reclamation's Dam Safety Program. Local water users only had to pay 7.5 percent of the total 21 WATERNEWS APRIL 2005 project cost. There is no guaran- tee that this source of funding will be available for future work. The Board is committed to keeping the C -BT system in a high state of readiness and reliability, and hav- ing adequate reserves available to fund the necessary maintenance and modern- ization. Reclamation continues to be our partner in the C -BT project and we value that relationship. They have been an ally and have provided much assis- tance over the years. Northern Colorado owes a huge debt of gratitude to Recla- i F The Board is committed to keeping the C -BT system mation for all it has accomplished. This relationship will continue to be strong in the future. We firmly believe there are areas where the District can take on more management and operational responsibility and be more cost effec- tive. This is not a criticism, but a fact. Federal agencies have overhead they are saddled with that can result in additional costs to local water users. We do not. If District staff or outside involvement and outsourcing can provide the same results at a lower overall cost, we believe it is in the best interests of all involved By Mike Applegate to shift responsibilities. Reclamation still needs to have oversight on its facilities, but outsourcing should be used where it makes sense. The Board firmly believes these goals can be achieved and will push to see them implemented. The C -BT Project is one of the best examples of a free market water system. The C -BT also allows for tremendous flexibility and efficiency. This past year saw historic modifications to project op- erations that will benefit District water users and enhance this market approach. The implementation of new carryover policies were the result of good, open communication with our allottees. The new policy allows more efficient use of C -BT water, more flexibility in deliveries and better system reliability. The Board and staff look forward to a continuation of these communication efforts in 2005 as we make additional improvements to the administration of water yielded from the C -BT Project. And finally, I encourage you to stop by our Berthoud headquarters this sum- mer to view the back 40. There we have a scale model of the C -BT Project system surrounded by Xeriscape plants and flowers. In addition, we'll be opening our Outdoor Laboratory for Landscape Irrigation Education or OLLIE. See page 11. / +f