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RECEIVED <br /> 410 Ai;9 c°U DEC 19 2012 BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS <br /> Colorado Water <br /> Consemtlon board <br /> ''ado <br /> JAMES L. NEWBERRY E-Mall:gmdctyi®co.grand.co.us <br /> District I,Winter Park 80482 PHONE 97M25-3347 <br /> NANCY STUART <br /> District II,Granby 80448 Fax:870!7264585 <br /> L UNDERBRINK CURRAN <br /> GARY B UMGARNER <br /> County Manager <br /> District Ill,Kremmling,80459 ANTHONY J.DICOLA <br /> County Attorney <br /> December 18,2012 <br /> Mr.John McClow,Chairman of the Board <br /> Colorado Water Conservation Board <br /> 1313 Sherman Street,Room 721 <br /> Denver,CO 80203 <br /> RE: GRAND COUNTY WSRA APPLICATION FOR A NON-CONSUMPTIVE RECREATION PROJECT <br /> TO BUILD GORE CANYON WHITEWATER PARK AT PUMPHOUSE ON COLORADO RIVER <br /> Dear Chairman McClow and Members of the Board: <br /> Representatives from Grand County,Colorado River Water Conservation District,Colorado Basin <br /> Roundtable met with Director Russell George,CWCB staff(Jennifer Gimbel and Ted Kowalski)and the <br /> Attorney General's office on October 31.At that meeting,Grand County was asked by CWCB staff to <br /> request that the pending application for Water Supply Reserve Account(WSRA)funds to construct the <br /> Gore Canyon Whitewater Park be considered at the Colorado Water Conservation Board(CWCB) <br /> January 2013 board meeting rather than waiting until the next WSRA discussion at the March 2013 <br /> meeting. <br /> The application for$100,000 basin and$400,000 state funds to construct the Gore Canyon Whitewater <br /> Park at Pumphouse on the Upper Colorado River was originally submitted to staff in anticipation of the <br /> September 2012 Board meeting. After learning of concerns expressed by staff,Grand County withdrew <br /> the application in order to allow time for further discussion and better mutual understanding of the <br /> project and other issues raised by staff.We all agreed on several steps to help clarify the issues that <br /> have been raised and much progress has been made since then.We have attached a summary <br /> addressing staff issues with proposed resolutions. <br /> The CWCB Staff has stated that Grand County's project meets all the eligibility requirements as well as <br /> all of the evaluation criteria outlined in the WSRA grant process.Yet,we understand the CWCB Board <br /> and staff may still be hesitant because this would be the first whitewater park funded by WSRA funds. <br /> Grand County requests that the members of the CWCB Board address the root questions that are at the <br /> heart of the stafrs concern regarding precedent: <br /> • Are non-consumptive recreational water projects an appropriate use of state funds? <br /> • Will the CWCB Board approve a qualified WSRA application to fund construction of a RICO? <br /> • <br /> P.O.BOX 284 HOT SULPHUR SPRINGS CO 80451.0284 <br />