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<br /> <br />.:if: <br />' '\ <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />COLORADO WATER CONSERVATION BOARD <br />Department of Natural Resources <br />Bill Owens, Governor <br />Greg Walcher, DNR Executive Director <br />Rod Kuharich, CWCB Director <br /> <br />... <br /> <br />'" <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />1 <br /> <br />SB 01-157: THE 2001 WATER PROJECTS BILL <br /> <br />Background <br /> <br />The General Assembly annually authorizes new water project <br />loans from the Construction Fund and the Petpetual Base <br />Account of the State Severance Tax Trust Fund. <br /> <br />The Constrnction Fund was created in 1971 to provide low- <br />interest loans for water resource proj ects. In 200 I, loan rates <br />vary from 3 Y:. percent for agricultural loans to 5 Yz percent for <br />municipal loans in middle-income areas to 6 Yz percent for <br />commercial loans. These rates are adjusted annually by the <br />CWCB. <br /> <br />The Construction Fund is a partially self-supporting revolving <br />loan fund. Revenues come from the return of principal and <br />interest on outstanding loans, interest earned on the cash <br />balance of the fund through investments by the State Treasurer, <br />and mineral lease fund distributions. By July 2000 the total <br />equity of the fund had risen to over $222 million. The total <br />fund equity includes the outstanding loan portfolio, authorized <br />projects currently under contract, authorized projects not under <br />contract, and a relatively small amount of unreserved cash. <br /> <br />The fund has financed 222 locally sponsored water projects <br />through the loan of more than $148 million. The CWCB may <br />contribute up to 90 percent of the engineering and construction <br />cost of a project. The CWCB may also provide non- <br />reimbursable investments for up to 50 percent of the cost of a <br />feasibility study and other water supply investigations. <br /> <br />The Petpetual Base Account was established by the General <br />Assembly in 1997 and is very similar to the Construction Fund. <br />Preference is given to projects in mineral and energy producing <br />areas. <br /> <br /> <br />May 2001 <br />Project Bill Highlights <br /> <br />-Authorizes more than $19 <br />million for new loans; <br /> <br />- Provides $2 million for <br />decision support systems to <br />enhance statewide water <br />supply planning and water <br />rights administration; <br /> <br />- Provides almost $3 million <br />for multi-purpose water <br />supply studies, watershed <br />and flood control studies <br />and projects. <br /> <br />- Repeals the fwe-percent <br />limit on flood project loans. <br />For more information, contact <br />Mike Serlet at (303) 866-3441. <br />