BOARD00845

• Board Meeting Date: 9/10/2002
• Description: CWCB Director's Report
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Memo

only 1 % ranking it as a top issue in January 2002 to 18 percent in July 2002. .

"Thinking about Colorado issues, what would you say is the top issue you would like the governor and
state legislature to deal with in Colorado? Any other important issue?"

A copy ofthe entire survey is attached. You can also find a copy ofthe poll at www.ciruli.com.

Flood Hazard Mitigation Workshops: Mark Matulik and Joe Busto, along with Clancy Phillipsborn, a
hazard mitigation specialist, conducted four "Flood Hazard Mitigation" workshops from Aug. 19-22 for
local governments, consultants and floodplain managers. The workshops were held in Pueblo, Montrose,
Glenwood Springs and Greeley and 46 people attended. The workshop provided an overview of
Floodplain Management, state and federal mitigation issues and updates, funding and FEMA and State
directions in floodplain management. The afternoon qonsisted of hands-on exercises. Attendees were
given a scenario involving a heavy flood after forest fires in a town with 25 flood related problems on
three creeks. Attendees were asked to: prioritize the issues, deal with short term recovery, funding,
coordination and long term mitigation strategies. The scenarios clearly illustrated that a flood event or
disaster is not the time to create a plan to address these issues. Feedback from the scenarios and
workshops have been very positive. Handbooks and CDs of resources regarding the CWCB, FEMA and
flood planning and project funding were given to participants.

FEMA Map Modernization: We and the consultants hired to complete the Colorado Map
Modernization Implementation Plan (MMlP), Moser Engineering and PBS&J, are in the final weeks of
our plan preparation effort. The draft state plan is dueto FEMA on Aug. 30, with final plan preparation
to be completed on Sept. 15. The plan will describe the state's floodplain mapping priorities for all 332
Colorado counties, cities and towns. The priorities will be organized according to counties (there are .
now 64 counties in Colorado with the creation of the City and County of Broomfield), since FEMA
expects that revised maps will be prepared on a countywide basis.

To date Congress remains supportive of President Bush's proposal for approximately $350 million
annually in FEMA floodplain mapping funds. It is not clear when such funding would be approved, but
current expectations are that money would not be available for actual map preparation before January
2003. Meanwhile, as the MMlP is finalized, we will coordinate with the highest ranked counties and
with the Urban Drainage & Flood Control District abi>ut possible upcoming floodplain mapping efforts.

Monitoring, Protection and Administration ofISFRights During the Drought: The extreme
drought that the West is experiencing has stream flows throughout Colorado at all time lows. Virtually
all of the state's river basins are under administrative 'calls from water rights with priority dates dating
back to the late 1800's. Due to their non-consumptive nature, the relatively junior instream flow water
rights held by the Board have benefited from these se~ior administrative calls that are generally located
at downstream points.

In an effort to ensure that its instream flow water rights are protected, we are engaged in a statewide
effort with the Division of Water Resources to review the various water court decrees which include
protective terms and conditions for our instream flow water rights to determine if water users are
operating in compliance with their decrees. If a water use is depleting an instream flow water right due
to out-of-compliance operation, the CWCB will ask the Division Engineers to initiate the necessary
action to bring the use into compliance.

Although the CWCB' s rights have relatively junior ~riority dates, many other water rights have been
appropriated since the CWCB's claims, and some senior claims have been voluntarily changed in water.
court, which necessitated terms and conditions to protect existing instream flow water rights from injury,
as provided under Colorado law. By enforcing decrees, the CWCB's instream flow rights will be fairly
and impartially protected within the state's water right priority system.

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