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Wildlife Drought Task Force: Attached is a summary. of drought impacts and activities reported by the . Wildlife Drought Task Force during August. A key point made at the August Task Force meeting was to plan for the drought continuing into next year. The long-term forecasts are very uncertain, and there is no indication that the drought conditions will subside. In addition to the actions reported in the attached memo, the DOW has also entered into an agreement with the Conejos Water Conservancy District. The District has agreed to release an additional 4 cfs (over inflow) from storage inPlatoro Reservoir. This agreement will be in effect until October 1st at which time the District will revert to winter operation~ and will be required to maintain a release of 7 cfs. CDOW will provide replacement water to the District, when available, from other sources. Arkansas River Basin Issues RICD By-pass Flow Letter: After you made your findings and recommendations concerning Pueblo's RlCD application you asked us to draft a letter to the <;ongressiona1 delegation expressing your views about tying a federal by-pass flow requirement to the legislation allowing Pueblo Reservoir to be enlarged. We have drafted a letter and I have attached:it for your review. Arkansas River TMDL: Kansas Water Quality Representative Tom Stiles has informed Colorado that the State of Kansas has listed the Arkansas River below the stateline as impaired for selenium. The selenium loading in the Arkansas River is overwhelmingly due to natural or irreversible conditions. Potential reductions in selenium loading from agricultural uses are at best marginal, especially in light of the fact that water use efficiency improvements are generally in conflict with the provisions ofthe Arkansas River Compact. . Support for New Conservancy District: Members of the Arkansas Valley Water Preservation group . have completed a poll indicating that of 502 Colorado adult registered voters from Bent, Crowley, Otero, Prowers and Pueblo counties likely to vote in the November general election, 79 percent would vote in favor of a creating a new district. People want to create a new district that would purch~se agriculture water rights to keep them from being converted to other uses. To buy water, the cons\Jrvancy district must ask voters for a property tax increase. According to the poll, respondents showed l! high tolerance for a I-mill increase but a low tolerance for a 2-mill increase. Based on that information the Water Preservation Group decided in favor of setting a levy of 1.5 mills, with a 30-year "sunset" clause. The group had already submitted petitions to the Pueo10 District Court to form a new conservancy district, but are re-petitioning to seek approval of a tax levee as well. Members of the group from each county have taken new petitions to be completed by tl1e time a hearing on the petitions is held on Sept. 9. SEWCD Seeks General Manager: The Southeastern Colorado Water Conservancy District (SECWCD) is seeking qualified applicants for the po~ition of General Manager. Resumes must be submitted by Sept. 30. For more information visit the District's web site. Letter from the Publisher: Attached for your information is a letter to Greg Hoskin from Pueblo Chieftain publisher Bob Rawlings indicating his editorial stance against the Board prior to your making findings and recommendations concerning the Pueblo RICD application was wrong. Pipeline Study: On Aug. 1 it was announced that tM U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee has approved $200,000 in "start-up funding" for the Ark~nsas Valley Conduit study. The study would be the. first step toward building a $200 million pipeline. T* pipeline was originally authorized along with the Frying-pan Arkansas Project in 1962, but was never built because users could not afford to pay for it. As 12