BOARD00204

• Board Meeting Date: 1/24/2006
• Description: WSP Section - Resolutions Honoring Jim Rogers and Tom Pointon for service to Arkansas River Compact Administration
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Memo

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:
From:
Date:
Re:

Colorado Water Conservation Board Members
Rod Kuharich and Steve Miller
January 13, 2006
Agenda Item 25, January 24-25, 2006, CWCS Meeting, Water Supply
Protection - Resolutions Honoring Jim Rogers and Tom Pointon for Service
to the Arkansas River Compact Administration

Russell George
Executive Director

Rod Kuharich
eWeB Director

Rick Brown
Acting Deputy Director

.

Introduction
The Arkansas River Compact created the Arkansas River Compact Administration to
"administer the provisions of the Compact", and further provides that the Administration shall consist of two
residents from the Arkansas Basin from each state, appointed for four year terms by the Governors of Kansas
and Colorado respectively, In November 2005 Governor Owens appointed two new representatives for
Colorado, This agenda item is to acknowledge the outstanding service of the two outgoing representatives:
Jim Rogers of Lamar, and Tom Pointon of Las Animas, At the December 13, 2005 Annual Meeting of the
Arkansas River Compact Administration Tom and Jim were honored by a farewell luncheon which the CWCB
hosted for state and federal agency attendees and Resolutions honoring their service were adopted, We
beiieve acknowledgement of their service by this Board is also warranted and appropriate,

Discussion

Jim Rodgers represented District 67, the reach of the river below John Martin Reservoir, from 1985 through
2005, Throughout this period Colorado and Kansas were mired in the interstate litigation just now reaching a
conclusion, Jim played an instrumental role in keeping Basin water users informed and in agreement with the
positions necessary for Colorado to obtain the successful results that have been achieved in the litigation, He
was also a key part of the movement to accept and implement the State Engineer's well use rules in the valley,
At the same time he did his utmost to meet his obligations as a member of the Administration to implement
the Arkansas River Compact in a cooperative manner with his counterparts from the State of Kansas, He did
so with an open mind and respect that earned him friends in both states,

While Tom Pointon's term of service was shorter, from 1997 through 2005, it was equally valuable,
Immediately upon receiving his appointment he reached out to the Kansas representatives and helped
coordinate a very successful celebration of the 50th anniversary of John Martin Reservoir. He served during
the period when water users were grappling with the harsh reality of compact compliance during an
extraordinary drought, and helped keep peace during those difficult times, Tom also worked with the Board as
a basin representative to the Statewide Water Supply Initiative, providing valuable insights as an advocate for
irrigated agriculture,

After the Board approves the attached resolutions we will print them on suitable paper, include the Board's
seal, and have them mounted and framed for presentation to Jim and Tom, and distribution to the Governor
and key water officials in the Arkansas River Basin, We invite suggestions for improving the resolutions prior
to adoption,

.

Recommendation
Staff recommends that the Board adopt the two attached resolutions honoring Mr, Tom Pointon and Mr, Jim
Rodgers, and further that it instruct the Director to distribute the resolutions as appropriate,