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<br />. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />STATE OF COLORADO <br /> <br />Colorado Water Conservation Board <br />Department of Natural Resources <br />\J \J Sherman Street, Room 721 <br />Denver, Colorado 80203 <br />Phone: (JOJ) 866-)441 <br />FAX: (303) 866-4474 <br />'...'ww.c.."cb,stall.'.co.uS <br /> <br /> <br />BiIlO.....ens <br />Governor <br /> <br />Memorandum <br /> <br />RussellGeorgc <br />E:l:("CUtiveDirector <br /> <br />Rod Kuharich <br />eWeB Director <br /> <br />To: Colorado Waler Conservation Board Members <br /> <br />Rick Brown, Al"ting <br />Deputy Director <br /> <br />From: JetTBaessler <br />Todd Doherty <br /> <br />Date March 4, 2006 <br /> <br />Re: A.genda Item 22. 1\Iarch 21-22. 2006 - Board :\leeting <br />Slre:lffi ;md Lake Protection - Ne\"t' Appropriation Recommendations <br />in 'Vater Division-l <br /> <br />Background <br /> <br />On January 25. 2005. the eWeB fonned its intent to appropriate instream flow water <br />rights on several stream segments within the North Fork and the Smith Fork Gunnison River <br />basins. During the public comment period. concerns were raised regarding these proposed <br />filings and Notiecs to Contest were received by the CWeB. The conccrns related to <br />administration of the basin and the elTect that the proposed instream flow water rights would <br />have on numerous undecreed water uses in the area. Also. there \vere concerns that the instream <br />flow water rights would prevent future water development in the basins. <br /> <br />To better address these concerns, the CWCB and the Colorado River Water Conservation <br />District (CRWCD) each committed 55.000 for water planning purposes. StalT has also held <br />numerous public meetings in Hotchkiss. Crawford and Delta to discuss the proposed instream <br />flow appropriations and their potential effccts on the water users. At the July 2005 CWeB <br />meeting. Staff recommended that the C\VCB table these instream flow appropriations to allO\\' <br />additional time for the \vater users to adjudicate their undecreed water uses and to further study <br />water availability. especially as it relates to the future \vater needs in the basin. <br /> <br />\Vater A.vailability Study <br /> <br />Staff and the CRWCD contracted with COM and Leonard Rice Engineering to complete <br />a water availability analysis for the affected sub basins. The analysis was perfonned in two <br />parts. The first part, which was conducted by CD~1. involved developing a "best estimate" of <br />the ultimate build.out of the sub basins and the associated future water demand. This was <br />accomplished by analyzing the GIS coverage of Delta. Montrose and Gunnison counties to <br />