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<br />COLORADO RIVER WATER
<br />CONSERVATION DISTRICT
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<br />Protecting Weslelll Colorado WaterSinw 1937
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<br />. Via Hand Delivery
<br />@ Pagosa Springs Board Meeting
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<br />July 25,2003
<br />
<br />Colorado Water Conservation BOilrd
<br />Board ofD/rectors
<br />13] 3 Shennan Street, Room 721
<br />Denver, CO 80203
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<br />
<br />Re; Draft Enforcement Agreement Between thc State of Colorado and the United States
<br />Regarding the CWCB's rSF for the Black Canyon (CWeB Agenda Item No. 23)
<br />
<br />Dear Board Members:
<br />
<br />The Co]orad~, River Water Conservation District (the "River District") requests that the
<br />C:WCB reject the currently proposed draft "Enforcement Agreement" between the ('WeB and the
<br />United States, Departmcnt of Interior (Agenda .Item No, 23). . Execution of an enforcement
<br />agreement regarding the peak inslIeam 'flow right to be adjudicated by the CWeB is a requiremcnt
<br />of the April 2, 2003. MemorandnlU of Agreement between the CWCB and the United States (the
<br />"April 2 MOA"). Unfortunately, the current draft Enforcement Agreement does 110t sufficiently
<br />protect water users in the Gunnison River basin because it c!lt)ses substantial confusion about the
<br />position of the Slale and the United States on whether the eWCB's instream flow right wi.1l be
<br />subject to the June 1,2000, Aspinall Unit Subordination Agrecment.
<br />
<br />W,\ter users in the Gunnison River basin have consistently maintained that the CWCB's ,
<br />illstream flow water right for the Black C,myon must be subordinated to the 60,000 acre fect of in-
<br />basin depletions that benefit from thc Aspinall Subordination A!,,'reement. 111 this regard, the River
<br />District vcrymuch appreciates tbe CWCB's May 20, 2003, motion to appropriate the instream flow
<br />right, which expressly subjected the instrcam flow rigbt to the Subordination Agreement. Despite
<br />the express condition on the May 20 motion to appropriate, the draft Enforcement Agreement calls
<br />into questiol1 the commitment of the Onited States to recognize and honor the subordinat.ion of the
<br />eWCB's instream flow.
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<br />Prior versions of the draft Enforcement Agreement prepared by the Altomey GeJ1cral 's office
<br />and circulated to the United States expressly and cJearlyrecognizcd the subord.ination of the in stream
<br />flow right to water rights that benefit from the Aspinall Subordination Al,'l'eement (See paragraph
<br />Nos. l.c, and 4.a, oftheJune 25, 2003, version of the draft Enforcement Al,'feement, attached), The
<br />troublc creilted by deletion of the ~ubordinatiol1 language is substantially compounded by two
<br />provisions in the cunent version of the agreement: .
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<br />SUITE #200' 201 CENTENNIAl. STREET
<br />P .0, BOX 112OJGLENWOOD SPRINGS, COLORADO 81602
<br />(970) 945.8522 . FAX (970) 945-8799 . www,crwcd.crg
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