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<br />-,1\ <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />Western States Instream Flow Comparison Study: In March 2004, the CWCB initiated a <br />study to compare Colorado's Instream Flow Program with other western states' instream flow <br />programs_ The purpose of the study was to 1) provide water users with essential information <br />about Colorado's Instream Flow Program, 2) compare the attributes and effectiveness of <br />Colorado's Program with other western state's programs, and 3) demonstrate opportunities to <br />utilize the Stream and Lake Protection Program to meet resource protection goals and/or mitigate <br />the impacts of water projects. <br /> <br />CWCB contracted with Sasha Charney to complete the study and prepare the report. Ms. <br />Charney presented a preliminary draft report to the Board for review and comment at its March <br />2005 meeting in Glenwood Springs, and the final draft is being provided to the Board at this May <br />2005 meeting. The report is also available on the CWCB web site at www.cwcb.state.co_us <br /> <br />Staff intends to circulate the final draft of the report to a peer review committee, and anticipates <br />publication of the report later this year. <br /> <br />Upper Colorado and San Juan Recovery Program Cap Increase: It is anticipated that legislation to <br />increase the cap on capital expenditures for these programs from $100,000,000 to $115,000,000 will be <br />introduced in the near future. The bill would also extend the program through 2010. <br /> <br />Phoenix Keeps Low-Water Ways As Drought Alert Set To End: Phoenix is prepared to end <br />the Stage I drought alert declared more than two years ago but will continue to preach a low- <br />water lifestyle using lessons learned during the long dry spell. Stage 1 asked for voluntary <br />conservation by homes and businesses but did not include mandatory measures. <br /> <br />It did require city departments to reduce water use by at least 5 percent and_those cutbacks will <br />be made permanent. Phoenix joins Gilbert in the decision to lower the drought warning flag <br />after winter storms filled in-state reservoirs on the Salt and Verde rivers. Those reservoirs, which <br />were less than half full at this time last year, are now at 95 percent of capacity, according to Salt <br />River Project. <br /> <br />The heavy runoff means a new water source for Phoenix and four other cities that helped pay for <br />expansion of Roosevelt Dam nearly a decade ago. Water has begun to fill that new storage space <br />for the first time. <br /> <br />Chandler, Mesa, Peoria, Glendale, Tempe and other cities remain at Stage 1 in their drought <br />plans, none of which included mandatory restrictions. <br /> <br />The city is already proposing changes to the way it irrigates golf courses. Under the drought <br />plan, the city didn't overseed the fairways on municipal courses during the winter <br /> <br />New Director Appointed for Forest Management: U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest <br />Service Chief Dale Bosworth announced the appointment of Charles (Chuck) Myers as the new <br />director of Forest Management. The Forest Management Program's main objective is to ensure <br />that the national forests are managed in an ecologically-sustainable manner, and includes <br />guidance, administration and support of the agency's forest products management and sales <br /> <br />5 <br />