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<br />. <br /> <br />At Painted Rock, which is normally empty, the current volumetric storage is 28,786 acre-feet and Alamo <br />Reservoir also contains nearly 200,000 AF more than normal. These high tributary inflows and storage <br />contents can help conserve some mainstem reservoir storage further upstream. <br /> <br />Attached is a letter that the Upper Colorado River Commission sent on behalf of the Upper Division <br />States Reclamation to help improve the extremely low storage condition at Lake Powell. Nevertheless, <br />the current drought condition in Colorado, while possibly weakening, will not be over unless we receive a <br />better than average snow pack that produces better than average runoff (i.e. average precipitation in the <br />spring, with average spring temperatures and relatively little wind). Otherwise, a good snow pack will <br />still leave our reservoir storage will below average as happened in 2003. <br /> <br />Application Period Opens for CRWCD Grant Funding: The Colorado River Water Conservation <br />District (CRWCD) has opened its 2005 Grant Program for applications. A total of$150,000 in grant <br />funds will be available, with individual grants capped at $15,000 each, Grant monies will be targeted at <br />the following types of projects: <br /> <br />. Development of a new water supply. <br />· Improvement of an existing water supply system. <br />. Measures that improve instream water quality. <br />. Measures that promote water use efficiency. <br />. Measures that result in sediment reduction. <br />. Implementation of watershed management actions. <br />. Tamarisk control measures. <br /> <br />Applicants must submit application by January 31. Once awarded, CRWCD grant monies will cover <br />50% of the first $10,000 of project cost and 20% of the subsequent $50,000, up to a maximum grant <br />amount of$15,000. The CRWCD will finalize grant awards in April. Application forms are available <br />online at www.crwcd,gov/grantorogram.html. <br /> <br />Lower Colorado Species: Reclamation has released the environmental documents related to the proposed <br />adoption of the Lower Colorado River Multi-Species Conservation Program (MSCP). The proposed <br />program is a 50-year initiative to recover endangered species and protect wildlife habitat, while ensuring <br />the certainty of continued water and power operations. The MSCP would create more than 8, I 00 acres of <br />riparian, marsh and backwater habitat, and protect: (1) six listed endangered species -- the southwestern <br />willow flycatcher, Yuma clapper rail, desert tortoise, bonytail, humpback chub, and razorback sucker; (2) <br />two candidate species -- the yellow-billed cuckoo and relict leopard frog; and (3) nineteen other rare plant <br />and animal species. <br /> <br />Fifty percent ofthe program's estimated $620M cost over 50 years would be provided by the federal <br />government, with the remaining 50% provided by entities within Arizona, California and Nevada, <br />including the Southern Nevada Water Authority and Metropolitan Water District of Southern California. <br />The environmental documents are available online at www.1crmscp.org. <br /> <br />AZ Water Banking: On Dec. 9, 2004 the Arizona Water Banking Authority approved an amended <br />interstate agreement that would guarantee that Arizona will store up to 1,25 million acre-feet of water for <br />Nevada in return for $330 million. <br /> <br />Nevada will make a $100 million down payment early next year, and pay $23 million per year beginning <br />in 2009. As a result, Nevada could take up to 40,000 AF per year of Arizona's Colorado River <br />apportiomnent directly from Lake Mead, with Arizona taking a proportionate share from Nevada's water <br />bank account. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />25 <br />