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Director's Corner- The summer heat coupled with low flow conditions in some of the river basins may prompt the CWCB to place administrative calls to ensure that the instream flow water rights are protected. Thanks to new funds for stream gaging upgrades, described in the "what's new" column, our physical protection staff will soon be able to monitor streamflows on a real-time basis. The low flow conditions also signal the time for fieldwork and data collection, which vviIl inevitably keep our staff more in the field and less in the office. I would like to call your attention to our fea- ture article that describes the CWCB's Water Acquisition Program (WAP). Anne Janicki gives details about the legislative history of the WAP and touches on a few acquired water rights that have indeed helped improve the priority for some of our instream flow rights. With that, I would also like to acknowledge Carol Ellinghouse who's been profiled in this issue for her dedication and hard work in implementing the decrees for the valuable water rights that the City of Boulder donated to our program for the protection of the Boul- der Creek natural environment. Because of Carol's effort, water now runs in Boulder and North Boulder Creeks beyond mid-summer and into the fall and vvinter-a trend that did not exist just a short decade ago. What's new? I am excited that we are managing to squeeze the CWCB's imaging program into our busy schedules. That effort combined with the technical assistance we will be getting from the Bureau of Reclamation to develop a GIS for our program will provide easy access to our databases, maps, and other documents. We will keep you informed of our progress in these areas in future issues. Also, as many of you may know, Colorado has a new law recognizing Recreational In-Chan- nel Diversions. Senate Bill 216 was passed this past legislative session and as a result the CWCB has a new responsibility to consult with the wakr court on these types of wakr rights filings. To meet its responsibility the CWCB vvill develop rules to guide the evalua- tion and review process to be used in develop- ing its findings. The CWCB's recommendations vvill then be submitted to the water court for consideration. The public is encouraged to participate in this rulemak- ing process. The first public meeting to dis- cuss rule development will be held in conjunction vvith the CWCB 's July meeting in Montrose. Additional meetings are planned through the state; consult the InStream Col- orado calendar or the CWCB web site for places and times. As always, I ask for your continued support for the Stream and Lake Protection Program. I believe that vvith our combined efforts we will protect the state's water-dependent natu- ral environment to a reasonable degree, as mandated by statute.. -Dan Merriman, Director JU~auJ auu .LctK~ rl-UL~C:UU1J rIUl5l-auJ Stream gaging receives funding. The ewcs and Colorado Division of Water Resources (DWR) are in the process of MOU for disbursement of non- reimbursable Construction funds for a program and satellite linked n with the US Geological Service will use telemetry devices, install low and high criteria, and conduct research projects t ng technologies utilizing dilution techniques. Search for instream flow and natural lake rights on~line. The instream flow and natural lake water rights databases are now available on the ewes web page. The name, location and decree information is available for each water right. The databases also provide information abOut donated! acquired water rights. Click on the "Stream and Lake Protection" button on the ewes web page, and select the "Water Rights Database" link at the top of the page. Document imaging and digitizing. The Instream Flow and Natural Lake decrees are np.inn im;::lop.o to m;JKp. thp.m p.IA~tronic~;::lllv ;::lCCA!':!':ihIA tothA nlJnli~vi;J thp. CWCRWAn ~ This-effort - . Stream &. Lake am has e the ghts in July. Once completed, the ewes will be able to generate computerized maps and to combine that information with other statewide G IS layers, as well as with the CDSS. 2 (Acquisition from page 1) The WAF also provides an opportunity for federal agencies to meet stream flow protec- tion goals and at the same time, comply vvith state water law. The Bureau of Land .1 1 1 H~~u~b~LU~U~ U~~ ~~~~~~ ~~UL~L LLUb~~L~U rights to the CWCB on Cathedral Creek to achieve its resource management goals. Likewise, through a three-way lease, the CWCB, State Parks, and the u.S. Fish & Wildlife Service were able to provide water for endangered fish habitat in the Yampa River. Private parties and conservation groups have also been actively involved in the WAP. The Nature Conservancy donated several water rights to the CWCB, including a 300 cubic feet per second senior water right to protect the water-dependent natural envi- ronment on 29 miles of the Gunnison River including the Black Canyon. The WAF is a flexible program that alloVofS fnr nllhlir ::Inn nriv::Itp n::lrtnpr<:hin<: tn nrn_ .L .L.L .L.L tect instream floVofS and natural lakes in our state. It remains an integral tool in the State's stream and lake protection efforts. If you would like more information about the Pro- gram, please contact us at 303-866-3441.$