BOARD00024

• Board Meeting Date: 3/21/2002
• Description: WSP Section - Arkansas River Basin Issues: HR 1714 - Use of Excess Capacity - East Slope Facilities - FryingPan - Arkansas Project
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Memo

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STATE OF COLORADO

Colorado Water Conservation Board

Department of Natural Resources
1313 Sherman Street, Room 721
Denver, Colorado 80203
Phone: [phone]
FAX: [phone]
www.cwcb.state.co.us

MEMORANDUM

Bill Owens
Governor

TO:

Colorado Water Conservation Board Members

GregE. Walcher
Executive Director

FROM:

Randy Seaholm, Chief, Water Supply Protection <61I[1.M
Steve Miller, Sf. Water Specialist, Water Supply Protection vv l

Rod Kuharich
CWCB Director

Dan McAuliffe
Deputy Director

DATE: March 12,2002

SUBJECT: Colorado Water Conservation Board, March 21-22, 2002 Meeting; Item 2l.C.:
HR17l4 - USE OF EXCESS CAPACITY - EAST SLOPE FACILITIES -
FRYINGP AN-ARKANSAS PROJECT.

Introduction

H.R 3881 entitled" To authorize the Secretary of the Interior to engage in studies relating to
enlarging Pueblo Dam and Reservoir and Sugar Loaf Dam and Turquoise Lake, Fryingpan-
Arkansas Project, Colorado, and for other purposes" was introduced in the U.S. House of
Representatives on March 6, 2002. It replaces H.R. 1714 previously introduced on May 3, 200l.
The Board has been interested in the subject matter of this legislation for over a year. This
agenda item presents an opportunity for Board member Harold Miskel to update the Board on
the legislation and activities to expand and better utilize the Fry-Ark Project. The item is
informational only, no action is recommended at this time.

Backl!round

In 1997-98 the Southeastern Colorado Water Conservancy District (SECWCD) conducted a
study entitled "SECWCD/Arkansas Basin Water and Storal!e Needs Assessment" which
identified the need for additional municipal water supply and storage within the district through
the year 2040 and presented a variety of methods for meeting those needs. Phase 2 of the
assessment process lead to the release of a report in 2000, "Preferred Storage Options Plan"
(PSOP). The PSOP describes the actual strategies for meeting the district's storage needs
through a combination of better utilization of excess capacity at existing Fry-Ark Project
facilities and enlargement of two project reservoirs, Pueblo and Turquoise. To implement the
PSOP it is necessary to amend the federal authorizing legislation for the Fry-Ark Project (Act of
August 16,1962; 76 Stat. 389). The CWCB had discussed the proposed legislation to accomplish
this at its January 2001 meeting and directed that a letter of support be sent to the SECWD (copy

Flood Protection. Water Supply Planning and Finance. Stream and Lake Protection
Water Supply Protection. Conservation and Drought Planning