Finance Committee Meeting 2009

• Board Meeting Date: 9/15/2009
• Description: Finance Sub-Committee Meeting September 15, 2009
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Meeting

STATE OF COLORADO
Colorado Water Conservation Board
Department of Natural Resources ;��
1313 Sherman Street,Room 721 �� h� _....
Denver,Colorado 80203 .
Phone:[phone]
Fax:[phone] \j876 ,
www.cwcb.state.co.us . ,9
TO: Colorado Water Conservation Board Members Bill Ritter,Jr.
Governor
FROM: Joe Busto, Watershed Protection&Flood Mitigation Section Harris D.Sherman
Ted Kowalski, Water Supply Protection DNR Executive Director
Jennifer L.Gimbel
DATE: September 3, 2009 CWCB Director
Dan McAuliffe
SUBJECT: Non-Reimbursable Investments CWCB Deputy Director
CWCB Weather Modification Program -Water Users Cost Share Assistance
Background
The State has had a weather modification permitting program since 1972 that has been delegated
to the CWCB since 1987. There are eight active target areas in the Colorado, Gunnison, and
Southwestern River Basins. In 2007 in response to Colorado River shortages formal agreements
were signed with three Lower Basin water users and the State of New Mexico to assist Colorado
• cloud seeding. Since then New Mexico Interstate Stream Commission has provided$84,000 and
the Lower Basin Water Users have donated: $458,300. The Board approved a strategic plan in
May 2008 that is a mix of technical assistance and funding to support local cloud seeding
programs. This fall the Lower Basin is donating$152,300 and NMISC will decide in October.
Discussion
Recent discussions around shortages in the Colorado River Basin turned from those of litigation
into a spirit of cooperation. Agreements were signed to jointly pursue strategies to meet current
and future water needs in the Basin and possibly avoid a complicated River Compact call and
future litigation. One of those strategies is water augmentation through cloud seeding as a means
to try and help maintain the mean annual flows that are crucial to the Compact administration.
The CWCB funding leverages other funding and allows experts and new equipment into
Colorado with a goal of increasing effectiveness of operations.
Staff Request
The CWCB Staff requests that the Board consider appropriating $175,000 to the CWCB Weather
Modification Program for Fiscal Year 2010/11.
Recommendation
Staff recommends that the Board request the General Assembly to appropriate up to $175,000
from the Construction Fund to be appropriated to the Colorado Water Conservation Board for the
CWCB Weather Modification Program.
•
Water Supply Protection•Watershed Protection and Flood Mitigation•Stream&Lake Protection•Water Supply Planning&Finance
Water Conservation&Drought Planning•Intrastate Water Management&Development