<br />COLORADO WATER AVAILABILITY TASK FORCE
<br />
<br />TO: Members of the Colorado Water Availability TaskForce
<br />
<br />FROM: Brad Lundahl, Water Availability Task Force Chair
<br />
<br />DATE: October 28, 2002
<br />
<br />SUBJECT: Minutes of the Thursday, October 17, 2002, Task Force Meeting
<br />
<br />The meeting was held on Thursday, October 17, 2002, at the NOAA Climate Diagnostic
<br />Center, Those in recorded attendance included: Brad Lundahl, Jack Byers, Bill Hansen,
<br />JeffTranel, Keith Vander Horst, Randal Ristau, Robin Knox, Klaus Wolter, Bob Glancy,
<br />Barbara Kerkmeyer, Teste Huse, Mike Gillespie, Jack Truby, JeffBrislawn, Bob Steger,
<br />Matt Knoedler, Susan Bacon, Trevor Popp, Jon Pardikes, Jerd Smith, Randy Dole, Martin
<br />Hoerling,
<br />
<br />Meeting began at 1:06 P,M,
<br />
<br />Brad Lundahl. Colorado Water Conservation Board. W ATF Chairman
<br />Brad Lundahl gave opening remarks and turned the meeting over to the presenters,
<br />
<br />Matt Knoedler. Office of Governor Bill Owens
<br />Mr, Knoedler gave a brief update of federal drought legislation and the Congressional
<br />timetable for action on current bills, He mentioned that the current Congressional
<br />continuing resolution did not contain any drought provisions, He explained Governor
<br />Owens decision to use $2 million from the State Emergency Fund to meet the matching
<br />requirement for federal Emergency Watershed Restoration Program funds sponsored by
<br />the NRCS,
<br />
<br />Mike Gillespie - N amral Resource Conservation Service INRCS)
<br />Mr, Gillespie explained that there were no snowpack figures at this time of year, He
<br />continued to say that precipitation levels from September 1, 2001 to August 2002 were
<br />the lowest on record, but that September, 2002 showed above average precipitation (see
<br />handout), Mr, Gillespie gave a statewide overview of the current reservoir storage levels,
<br />which were 48% of average, 56% of last year (see handout),
<br />
<br />Keith VanderHorst. Division of Water Resources. Water Supplv Conditions Update
<br />Mr, VanderHorst explained that the current SWSI (Surface Water Supply Index) numbers
<br />are up slightly from last month, and that streamflows have recovered a little bit. The San
<br />JuanlDolores Basin had seen the greatest improvement this month, He stated that the
<br />compact agreement on the Rio Grande had been met this year but had concerns for next
<br />year if regional precipitation is average or lower, (see handout for the October Colorado
<br />Water Supply Conditions Update),
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