BOARD00034

• Board Meeting Date: 5/23/2005
• Description: CWCB Director's Report
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Memo

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Water Quality-Water Quantity Coordination Meeting. The meeting took place on April 7, .
2004. The following were some ofthe topics discussed:
. 2005 Colorado Watershed Protection Fund Grants
. EPA review of Colorado's section 303(d) list (list of impaired water bodies)
. WQCC Basic Standards rulemaking and consultation request
. Forest Service's proposed revisions to the Regional Watershed Conservation Practices
Handbook
. Legislative Update
. Agency updates
. Arkansas River Research
The next meeting is scheduled for August 18, 2005.

Water Quality Control Commission's consultation request. The WQCC is scheduled to
conduct a rulemaking hearing regarding revisions to the Basic Standards and Methodologies for
Surface Water, Regulation # 31 (5 ccr 1002-31), and the Colorado Discharge Permit System
Regulations, Regulation # 61 (5 ccr 1002-61) on June 13,2005. One of the 39 parties
participating in this hearing has claimed injury to its water rights. Accordingly, the WQCC has
requested that the SEO/CWCB provide comments concerning potential impacts of such revisions
on the exercise of water rights.

In it's prehearing statement, the City of Grand Junction has asserted that the application of
temperature standards to the water supply sources for Grand Junction, including Kannah Creek,
and the Colorado and Gunnison Rivers, could materially injure the City's water rights. To .
evaluate the City of Grand Junction's assertion and prepare a response to the WQCC, staffs at
the CWCB, SEO and WQCD met on May 11th. It was suggested that the WQCD clarify its
rebuttal statement to address Grand Junction's concerns. If the Grand Junction does not
withdraw its,objection, the SEO/CWCB will formally send a joint letter to the WQCC by the end
of May, provi~g comments on potential impacts of temperature standards on the exercise of
waterrights.- A copy of that letter will be mailed to theCWCB members.'

EP A's Targeted Watershed Initiative. In recent years, the EP A has offered funding for
watershed projects, known as "Watershed Initiative" and this year called "Targeted Watershed
Initiative." The EP A guidance provides that each state can submit no more than two proposals.
The grant requests must be forwarded to the Governor of each state for a recommendation and
submittal to EP A Headquarters and the Regional office. The deadline for this year's funding is
May 19.

The Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment and the Department of Natural
Resources cooperate to review these grant requests and advise the Governor. The grant proposals
submitted in 2005 are as follow:

1. North Fork ofthe Gunnison Improvement Association
2. Roaring Fork Conservancy
3. Clear Creek Watershed Foundation

The CWCB staff reviewed the three proposals and provided comments to the WQCD staff on
May 11 th (two of the three proposals were rated the highest). The CDPHE is currently preparing
recommendation to the Governor who is expected to send letters to the EPA by May 19.
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