Laserfiche WebLink
<br />The bill also enables the Drought Council to assist states, )ocal governments, tribes, and watershed <br />groups, in the development and implementation of drought preparedness plans. <br /> <br />Further, the Council would facilitate the development of a' national integrated drought information system. . <br />Two million for each of the fiscal years 2003-2010 is authprized to carry out the Act. The Council would <br />terminate in eight years. <br /> <br />Western States Water Council Meeting: The Western ~tates Water Council met in Wellsville, Utah on <br />Aug. I. The Council renewed positions on Federal Non-Tribal Fees in General Adjudications and <br />Reclamation's Water Conservation Field Services Program. The Council also supported passage of the <br />National Drought Preparedness Act of2003. The Council also considered a policy resolution regarding <br />Water Transfers and National Pollution Discharge Elimination System Permits that it put forth for review <br />by the Western Governor's Association. <br /> <br />Statewide <br /> <br />Tamarisk Control and Eradication Update: We have b'een working with the Tamarisk Coalition to <br />prepare a request for a non-reimbursable allocation from the Construction Fund in the amount of $52,500 <br />to pay half of the cost of an on-the-ground field survey of riparian and upland areas currently infested by <br />tamarisk. <br /> <br />The request has been reviewed by CWCB staff and recommended for forwarding to the Finance <br />Committee. It is consistent with information considered by the Board at the July 2003 meeting that the <br />CWCB's participation in tamarisk control efforts should fQcus on inventorying infested acres. We are also <br />continuing to utilize DSS in this process to compare the re~ults of the Tamarisk Coalition's fieldwork <br />with remote sensing processes that we will implement with the Colorado River DSS, and other acreage <br />mapping presently being used in the Arkansas Basin. <br /> <br />The Coalition is also sponsoring a Symposium in Grand Junction in late October that will bring together <br />scientists and resource managers with an interest in tamari~k control methods and strategies, more <br />information can be obtained from the Coalition or Steve Miller. <br /> <br />Supreme Court Cites Groundwater Atlas as Authoritative Source: In Case No. No. 02SA216, <br />Colorado Ground Water Commission v. North Kiowa-Biiou Groundwater Management District the <br />Colorado Supreme Court used the Groundwater Atlas to aJ)alyze the availability and use of groundwater <br />to meet our state's water needs. <br /> <br />In this ground water law case, the Colorado Supreme Court construes ~ 37-90-107(7) of the Colorado <br />Ground Water Management Act to vest the Ground Water !Commission with the authority to determine a <br />use right for the withdrawal of Denver Basin designated gtiound water by overlying landowners, or those <br />acting with landowner consent. The Court further holds t~at the Ground Water Management Districts <br />possess no statutory authority to determine an applicant's water right under this section. Finally, the <br />Court holds that the anti-speculation doctrine applies to th~ Commission's determination of the <br />applicant's right to use Denver Basin designated ground water. <br /> <br />Instream Flow Monitoring and Protection: Streamflow!! on the Western Slope began to drop <br />significantly in Augnst. We identified impacts to several iIistream flow water rights and has placed two <br />formal "calls" for water. <br /> <br />. On Aug. 7 we placed a call for water on the South Fork of the Rio Grande. The CWCB holds <br />instream flow water rights for 45 cfs decreed in Ca~e No. 3-84CWI62, and 50 cfs decreed in Case <br />No.3-84CWI63. The South Fork gage at South Fprk on August 7, 2003 (2:15 pm) indicated a <br />flow of29.3 cfs in the River. : <br />. On Aug. 19 we placed a call for water on the Slatei River near Crested Butte to protect the Board's . <br />23 cfs instream flow water right decreed in Case No. 4-80CW092. The Division 4 Engineer <br /> <br />6 <br /> <br />. <br />