BOARD00220

• Board Meeting Date: 9/22/2003
• Description: CWCB Director's Report
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Memo

. This program would take place immediately southwest and adjacent to the Gunnison County program that
was permitted in January 2003 for five years. The program target area encompasses the Southwest portion
of Gunnison Counties and a small northern portion of SagUache and Hindsdale counties and is designed to .
affect the Upper Gunnison River southern tributaries region.

The notice of intent will be published in affected and adjacent counties for a total of 17 counties for two
weeks before the hearing. '

Don Griffith, North American Weather Consultants Inc., Of Sandy, Utah, if granted, will implement the
permit. The sponsoring entities if the permit is granted ar~: Gunnison County, Dos Rios Water System,
Upper Gunnison Conversancy District, Crested Butte MoUntain Resort, Town of Crested Butte, Scenic
River Tours, City of Gunnison, Crested Butte South Metrqpolitan District, and the Stockgrowers
Association. Drainages likely to be affected are Cochetopa Creek, Lake Fork ofthe Gunnison River,
Cebolla Creek and Tomichi Creek. '

Eight to twelve generators have been requested for this pepnit. The mountain ranges expected to be
affected are the eastern slopes of the Sawatch Range and Southern slopes of the La Garita Mountains.

Draft EA Released for Upper Gunnison Water Sale: On Aug. 7 Reclamation released a draft
Environmental Assessment on a proposed contract to sell the Upper Gunnison Water Conservancy
District up to 500 acre-feet of water annually from Blue Mesa Reservoir. The Conservancy District would
use the water to protect water users in the Upper Gunniso~ Basin from having their domestic water
supplies interrupted by downstream senior water rights. The water would be released to the Gunnison
River during times the senior water rights placed a "call" qn the river.

At the present time individual water users can purchase w~ter from Blue Mesa but separate water
contracts with Reclamation and separate agreements with the State Engineer are needed for each water
use. Under the proposed water sale plan, this system would become more efficient and less expensive for .
water users and government agencies. .

For more information or to receive a copy of the draft ass~ssment, contact Steve McCall or Dave Roberts
at 970-248-0600. '

BLM 's Gunnison Gorge NCA Resource Management rlan and DEIS: Pursuant to Board direction, a
letter to Colorado's Congressional delegation and copied t~ BLM was sent objecting to the BLM's
proposed "Wild & Scenic" designations contained in theiriDraft Resource Management Plan. The public
review and comment period is now closed and BLM is in the process of addressing those comments.
,
BLM held a meeting in Montrose on Aug. 13 to discuss cqncerns with the Uncompahgre Valley Water
Users Association and others. Based on our letter and disqussions with water users, BLM has indicated
that it will not recommend any segments for "Wild & Scer\ic "designation. This is consistent with the
legislation creating the Black Canyon.ofthe Gunnison Na~onal Park and the surrounding BLM
Conservation Area.

Platte River B:asln

Platte River Cooperative Agreement (CA) Update: Aft'er a short break from the negotiations Colorado
meet with Nebraska in mid-July to begin discussing the key concems which were outlined in the July
2003 Board Memorandum. Several follow up meetings wjth Nebraska and the other CA participants have
occurred since that time with slow progress. Colorado has! once again outlined how we would produce
our initial 10,000 acre-feet commitment from Tamarack I ~d we explained how our future depletions
plan (Tamarack II) would operate. .

Nebraska remains skeptical but we have emphasized that ultimately Colorado's ability to implement our
Tamarack Plan will be apparent in the implementation and,monitoring of that plan. To ease some of the
concern Colorado offered some basic principles that indicate how we intend to operate and that we would

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