BOARD00486

• Board Meeting Date: 5/21/2001
• Description: ISF Section - Water Conservancy of Colorado - Staff Report
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Memo

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Agenda Item 10
May 21-22, 2001 Board Meeting

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"The wee would not seek to appropriate water that is not diverted for out-of-stream use or
stored. It would not, for example, appropriate 'water for boat chutes. Specifically, the wee
would pursue or support the following kinds of transactions under existing law:

. Existing water rights could be placed undJr covenants at common law or easements to
ensure their continued use for conservation jJurposes without changing the type or location
of water use or point of diversion. Such voluntary and private restrictions would be
analogous to land conservation easements. '

. Existing water rights could be acquired through donation or purchase, and offered to the
eWCB for changing their use in the water courts to the preservation of the natural
environment to a reasonable degree, so lorig as there is no injury to otker existing water
rights. The wec will seek to retain contractual and eriforcement remedies under existing
law when it offers acquired water rights to the eWCB for conversion to instream flow
protection.

. Acquired water rights could be alternated between instream flows and municipal,
agricultural, and other out-ofstream watbr uses, in cooperation with the CWCB. The
agreement between the CWCB and the eity of Boulder is a good example, under which a .
porifolio of the City's senior water rights ;are dedicated to instream flows, but can revert
back to municipal supply under set drought 'prlteria.

· Existing water rights could be acquired and used to maintain or restore wetlands. The crop
would be switched from pasture to wetland vegetation, in its simplest form, or the WCC
would seek a change of water rights in the water courts to divert water to Irrigate wetland
vegetation. " ;

wee Board Members

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Several individuals have agreed to serve on the initial ~oard for Ihis new organization, and the first
meeting is in the process of being organized. The founding board members include:

Mike Browning, Atlomey
Leo Bisel, Engineer
Carol Ekarius, Upper South Platte Watershed frotection Association Coordinator
Jay Fetcher, Rancher i
David Getches, Attomey, Professor of Law '
Don Glaser, Regional Director, National Fish &. Wildlife Foundation
Bill Gordon, Trout Unlimited
David Hamson, Attorney
Jim Lochhead, Atlomey
David Robbins, Altomey ;
Chris West, Colorado Cattlemen's Agriculture Land Trust
Ruth Wright, Board Member, Northern Colo~ado WCD

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