BOARD00517

• Board Meeting Date: 7/23/2002
• Description: Flood Section - Chatfield Drought Decloration
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Memo

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DENVER ~VATER

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1600 West 12th Avenue. Denver, Colorado 80254
Phone [phone] . Fax No. [phone]

May 28, 2002

Rod Kuharich
Colorado Water Conservation Board
1313 Sherman Street, Room 721
Denver, CO 80203

Dear Rod:

Subject: Denver Water's Use of the Chatfield Reservoir Permanent Pool

As we discussed on the phone the other day, Denver Water is interested in defining when and
how the "drought cJause" for thePermaJlent Pool at Chatfield Reservoir can be implemented.
row!'rdsthat goal, the fol!p\Ving is a short history of the Chatfield Reservoir Permanent Pool .
and a proposal for consideration by the Colorado Water Conservation Board.

Colorado Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and Denver Board of Water
Commissioners (Denver) entered into a Contract, dated April 3, 1979, under which Denver
agreed to use its water rights to fill and maintain the Permanent Pool at Chatfield Reservoir.
Denver filled and maintains the Permanent Pool of 15,849 acre-feet at elevation 5,423 above
mean sea level.l In return for filling and maintaining the Permanent Pool, the Contract grants
Denver the sole and exclusive right to use for its o'wn purposes the water stored in the
reservoir between the Permanent Pool elevation of 5,423 and elevation 5,432. The amount of
water in the reservoir at the higher elevation is 26,~34 acre-feet, so Denver's discretionary
pool is 10,785 acre-feet.

In addition, and despite its sole and exclusive right, Denver agreed to use best efforts to
operate its pool at the reservoir during the recreation season to maintain a minimum level
higher than the Permanent Pool. Except in periods of drought or under circumstances beyond
Denver Water's control, Denver attempts to keep II minimum of 20,000 acre-feet in the
reservoir from May 1 and August 31 of each year.' Denver implemented the requirements in
the Contract and has generally operated the Permanent Pool according to the Contract each
year since the i,nitial fill was obtained. . . .
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1 The elevauQiJ/voh,mw relationships "sed in thi~ document~efrom the otiginalCgntrad.The D,S: Army."
Corps' of Engineers periodically recalculateS the elevation/vOlume relationship at Chatfield Reservoir.
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CONSERVE