BOARD00246

• Board Meeting Date: 11/3/1994
• Description: Agenda, Minutes, Memos
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Meeting

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-=o!OradO Water Conservation Board

Department of Natural Resources

721 State Centennial Building
1313 Sherman Street
Denver. Colorado 80203
Phone [phone]
FAX [phone]

STATE OF COLORADO

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Roy Romer
Governor

James S. Lochhead
Executive Director, DNR

TO:

Colorado Water Conservation Board Members
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Chuck Lile (~~

Daries C. Lile, P.E
Director, eweB

FROM:

DATE: October 19, 1994

SUBJECT: Agenda Item 3 - Director's Report
November 3-4, 1994 Board Meeting

Activities of the Director and staff involving issues of interest have been as follows:

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Arkansas River Coordinating Committee: The first meeting of the Arkansas River Coordinating
Committee was held in La Junta, Colorado on September 22, 1994, and the second on October 12,
1994 was held in Pueblo, Colorado. Governor Roy Romer, along with the Director of Natural
Resources, Jim Lochhead, were at the organization meeting to aid in briefing the Committee and
establishing the expectations. State Engineer Hal Simpson and I co-chaired the meeting. The focus
of the first meeting was to discuss goals, review the status of the Kansas v Colorado litigation, and
to develop an organizational structure. At the second meeting we were able to spend a considerable
amount of time reviewing the results of the engineering modeling efforts by both Colorado and
Kansas, discuss the 1980 operating plan for John Martin Reservoir, and to hear views concerning the
three day pumping rule. A meeting will be held on October 27, 1994 at which time we will establish
a work plan, review options for augmentation supplies, and hear reports from the three groundwater
users associations. We will provide the Board with copies of minutes from each meeting.

Western States ESA Workshop: Out staff participated in and assisted with organizing the Western
States workshop concerning the Endangered Species Act in Grand Junction on October 5, 6, and 7,
1994. The purpose of the workshop was to begin a process for the development of a position paper
concerning implementing and managing water resources within the framework of the Act.
Colorado's and the Upper Basins' success to date with the recovery program was one of the
examples of working within the Act. Most states had numerous "horror" stories to tell concerning
difficulties, ranging from the Edwards Aquifer in Texas to the Bay Delta controversy in California.
As a position paper is developed, we will coordinate with the Board.

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