BOARD00711

• Board Meeting Date: 1/22/2003
• Description: CWCB Director's Report
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Memo

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the $450,000 that we were seeking. We remain in the process of evaluating the appraisal and .
responding back to Reclamation.

CRRP Forum: OnDec. 10,2002, the Gunnison Basin;fGrand Valley Water Forum hosted a
workshop in Grand Junction on the proposed study of the Colorado River Return Project. The
purpose of this public forum was to gather input on additional areas of study and concern as the
feasibility of this project is contemplated. Approximately 200 people attended the meeting.

The news coverage by Grand Junction/s Daily Sentinel reported the following:

"At the panel discussion Tuesday night, Colorado Water Conservation Board member Greg Hoskin
warned residents of western Colorado that if they don't seize the opportunity to put water currently
flowing past the Utah state line to beneficial use befor~ it's snatched up by Mexico or downstream
states, Colorado may lose it forever."

"However, Western Colorado Congress Executive Di~ector Matt Sura cautioned the study for the Big
Straw also will explore alternatives to the proj ect, which may bring more problems than the Western
Slope bargained for."

"Hoskin emphasized the study of the Big Straw project is meant to explore and answer those
questions and concerns. The funds for the study will qome from severance taxes in the Colorado
Water Conservation Board's construction fund, but th~ Legislature must appropriate the funding."

The Forum is now publishing a newsletter with the help of the Colorado River Water Conservation
District. To read the newsletter visit .
http://www.crwcd.org/news/re\)orts/voll gygbwf ne}vsletter.pdf. .

Colorado Decision Support System: An annual CDSS report is attached.

Gunnison River ,sasin Issues

Aspinall Unit Reservoir Operations: Flows through the Black Canyon of the Gunnison continue to
run around 250 cfs as discussed in the last Director's Report. Reclamation has issued a press release
indicating that they will maintain a minimum flow of only 250 cfs through the Black
Canyon\Gunnison Gorge this winter or until runoff f6recasts indicate higher releases and a return to
the 300 cfs decreed minimum are justified.

As of the end of December, Blue Mesa live storage was 283,200 AF or 34% of capacity. Blue Mesa
gained about 4,000 AF of storage during December., December precipitation in the Gunnison Basin
was only 62% of average and precipitation for the w~ter year so far stands at 93% of average. The
January 1, 2003, most probable April through July f9recast for Blue Mesa Reservoir inflow is
575,000 AF or 80% of average. '

If the forecast does not improve, and with maintaining 250 cfs outflow, Blue Mesa will still be about
50,000 AF short of full. There will be an Aspinall Unit operations meeting on Jan. 15 in Montrose to
discuss the situation.

Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park - Federal Reserved Water Rights Quantification:
CWCB staff continues to serve as part of Colorado'$ negotiating team working with other Colorado
water users and a number of federal agencies towar(is the quantification of the National Park
Service's decreed instream flow federal reserved wl!ter right. Progress on this matter has been very
slow, but there was a major meeting with federal representatives on Nov. 22. This issue is on the .
Executive Session agenda.