BOARD00354

• Board Meeting Date: 1/24/2001
• Description: CF Section - Elkhead Reservoir Environmental Compliance Grant
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Memo

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STATE OF COLORADO

Colorado Water Conservation Board
Department ofNaturaI Resources
1313 Sherman Slreel, Room 721
Denver. Colorado 80203
Phone: [phone]
FAX: [phone]
www.cwcb.state.co.us

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MEMORANDUM

Bill Owens
Gov.em.or

TO:
FROM:
DATE:
RE:

GregE. Walcher
Executive Director

CWCB Members
Dan McAuliffe ~
January 12,2000 V"""
Elkhead Reservoir nvlronmental Compliance Grant

Rod Kuharich
Dire<:tor

Dan McAuliJfe
Deputy Director

Background

Work continues to progress toward the completion of a Yampa River Basin Plan. The
plan is intended to provide the USFWS with a consensus recommendation about how the Upper
Colorado River Endangered Fish Recovery Program will allow water development in the Yampa
River Basin to continue for the next several decades while the fish species are recovered.

The plan will be reviewed by the USFWS in an Environmental Assessment (EA). The
recommendation embodies two major goals: providing approximately 7,000 acre feet of water
for the fish from new and existing sources and the management of non-native species. At least
3,700 acre-feet of this water would come from an enlarged Blkhead Reservoir.

If successfully reviewed and completed, the plan will be the basis for a Cooperative
Agreement between the USFWS and the state. The agreement would then be the basis for a
Programmatic Biological Opinion.

The funds being requested would allow the CWCB to share the estimated costs of
conducting environmental compliance studies associated with the reservoir enlargement. Partners
are expected to include many members of the Yampa River Basin Partnership (the Colorado
River Water Conservation District, the City of Craig, the Upper Yampa Water Conservation
District and others).
Recommendation (written as proposed statutory language)

SECTION _, Elkhead reservoir environmental compliance studies, The Colorado
water conservation board is authorized to expend up to five hundred thousand dollars ($500,000)
from the Colorado water conservation board construction fund to participate in analyzing the
consequences of enlarging Blkhead Reservoir in Moffat County for the purpose of obtaining
necessary construction and environmental compliance pennits. Unexpended funds shall revert to
the construction fund on June 30, 2004, or upon the action of the board, whichever event takes
place first.