BOARD00310

• Board Meeting Date: 1/27/2004
• Description: WSP Section - Gunnison Basin Programmatic Biological Opinion ‎(PBO)‎ Update
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Memo

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STATE OF COLORADO

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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:

Colorado Water Conservation Board Members

Randy Seaholm, Chief, Water Supply Protection ~

Russell George
Executive Director

FROM:

Rod Kuharich
CWCB Director

DATE:

January 19, 2004

Dan McAuliffe
Deputy Director

SUBJECT: Agenda Item 26, January 27-28, 2004 Board Meeting-
Water Supply Protection - Gunnison Basin Programmatic Biological Opinion (PBO)
Update

Introduction

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The purpose of this memorandum is to update Board members on the Gunnison Basin PBO process and to
discuss what level of future water development to seek protection for during that process.

The purpose of the PBO is to provide comprehensive ESA protection for all existing depletions in the
Gunnison Basin and some increment of future depletions while concurrently taking necessary actions to
protect critical habitat and recover endangered fish species, Water provided for endangered fish pursuant
to the flow recommendations is beyond what Colorado would be entitled to develop under the Colorado
and Upper Colorado River Compacts, Developed water or water reserved for future development would
be within Colorado's compact apportiomnent.

Gunnison Basin Prol!rammatic Biolol!ical Opinion (PBO)

The process for developing a PBO for the Gunnison Basin was initiated in July 2000. While there has
been some work on PBO related activities since then, the process has generally been on hold until the
issues associated with the Gunnison River flow recommendations could be resolved, The Upper
Colorado Recovery Implementation Program Biology Committee has now adopted flow
recommendations for the Gunnison River and a published report was released in July 2003, In addition,
initial drafts of the proposed federal action and management plan have been prepared, Also, there has
been considerable discussion about foreseeable future water uses and depletions in the Gunnison Basin,
but no resolution on any value.

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With the release of the flow recommendations, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation has indicated that it will

initiate an EIS process for the re-operation of the Aspinall Unit to meet the flow recommendations or a

reasonable alternative to them by the end of 2003. It was generally agreed that CDSS would be used for

Colorado Water Conservation Board
Flood Protection. Water Supply Planning and Finance. Stream and Lake Protection
Water Supply Protection. Conservation and Drought Planning