Board Meeting Memorandum 09/10/2003 ‎(B)‎

• Board Meeting Date: 9/10/2003
• Description: Non Reimbursable Projects Tamarisk Coalition, Infested Acres Inventory
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Meeting

STATE OF COLORADO
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Oolorado Water Conservation Boards;, ,-,l
Department of Natural Resources 1 .2.--- , 6,
1313 Sherman Street,Room 721 4
Denver,Colorado 80203 J . :b
Phone:[phone] i+ +
FAX:[phone] 1s37-
www.cwcb.state.co.us
Bill Owens
Governor
MEMORANDUM Greg E.Walther
Executive Director
To: Colorado Water Conservation Board Members Rod Kuharich
CWCB Director
From: Randy Seaholm Dan McAuliffe
Steve Miller Deputy Director
Date: September 10, 2003
Re: September 22,2003, CWCB Finance Committee Meeting
Water Supply Planning and Finance-Non Reimbursable Projects
Tamarisk Coalition,Infested Acres Inventory
troduction
is request is for the Tamarisk Coalition to conduct an inventory and mapping of tamarisk infested acres in the
Arkansas and Colorado River Basins. For FY 04-05, an appropriation of $52,500 is being sought from the
Construction Fund. Staff presented information on DNB's interest in this issue and an introductory report prepared by
the Tamarisk Coalition at the July 2003 Board meeting.
Discussion
The Tamarisk Coalition has requested,and CWCB staff is recommending approval of a non-reimbursable allocation from
the Construction Fund in the amount of$52,500. These funds will be used to pay half of the cost of an on-the-ground
field survey of riparian and upland areas currently infested by tamarisk, and a related invasive phreatophyte—the Russian
Olive.During its July 2003 meeting the Board concurred in staffs recommendation that the CWCB's participation in
tamarisk control efforts should focus on inventorying infested acres,both to serve as a baseline when seeking federal
funds and to use in monitoring the impacts of various control programs. The Coalition believes that the cost of this study
will eventually be credited against the non-federal cost share requirements contained in pending federal legislation. The
Board's DSS will be useful in this process and we will compare the results of the Tamarisk Coalition's field work with
remote sensing processes that we will implement with the Colorado River DSS, and the acreage mapping presently being
used in the Arkansas Basin.
Recommendation
Staff recommends that the Board request the General Assembly authorize $52,500 from the Construction Fund to be
itpropriated to the Colorado Water Conservation Board for conducting a tamarisk inventory of the Arkansas and
lorado River Basins in cooperation with the Tamarisk Coalition.
Flood Protection•Water Project Planning and Financing•Stream and Lake Protection
Water Supply Protection•Conservation Planning