BOARD00080

• Board Meeting Date: 1/24/2001
• Description: CF Section - Drought Planning Survey/Carry-Over Storage Assessment
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Memo

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STATE OF COLORADO

Colorado Water Conservation Board
Peparttnent of Natutal Resoutces
1313 Shennan Street, Room 721
Denver, Colorado 80203
pJlOne: [phone]
FAX: [phone]
www.cwcb.state.co.us

Q

BUlOwen,
Governor

MEMORANDUM

Greg E. Walcher
Executive Director

TO:
FROM:
DATE:
RE:

CWCB Members
Dan McAuliffe ~
January 12, 2000
Drought Planning Survey/Carry-over Storage Assessment

Rod Kuharich
Director

Dan McAuliffe
Deputy Director

Background

In December 1999 Governor Owens and the CWCB sponsored a Flood and Drought
Conference in Denyer. The conference proceedings have been made available yia the Internet
and on CD-ROM, the CWCB has published a "Planning for Drought" brochure, released a dam
site inyentory that was mailed to every county where a dam site was identified, and surveyed
local entities regarding the existence of drought plans.

More needs to be done.

In May and June 2000 surface water levels statewide were very low. Water users relying
on water in storage faired well, while those without storage, especially in the South Platte and
Rio Grande basins, experienced drought-like conditions.

The last year the state experienced such water conditions was 1977.

Funds are requested to survey water users (municipalities, county water storage and
supply groups like homeowners associations, water companies, water districts, water
conservation and conservancy districts, and inigation, ditch and reservoir companies) to collect
infonuation in several categories:

1. What is their recent history in tenus of growth

2. What type of water supply do they have (for example, ground water, reservoir
storage, surface water direct flow diversions)

3. Do they have an emergency drought plan and was it actiyated in 2000, 1977 or in
another year

4. How depleted was their water supply in 2000, 1977 or another year they considered
to be drought-like.

Flood Protection. Water Project Planning and Financing. Stream and Lake Protection
Water Supply ProtectiOrl.. Conservation PlaMing