BOARD01008

• Board Meeting Date: 1/27/2004
• Description: CWCB Director's Report
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Memo

recommendation of coordinated evaluation of weather modification programs with research
meteorologists, in short working together.

Future of Municipal Water Use: Peter Binney, from the City of Aurora, recently wrote an
essay for the CWRRI's Colorado Water newsletter entitled "The Future of Municipal Water
Use." I have attached it for your information.

A WRA Symposium: The Colorado Section of the American Water Resources Association is
hosting its armual symposium on April 30 at the An>ada center. The theme of this year's
symposium is "Interstate Compacts and Treaties: Then and Now." For more information,.visit
www.awra,orl!/state/Colorado.

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Arkansas River Basin

Flow Recommendations: The DNR has sent its annual letter to Reclarnation regarding flow
recommendations for fisheries and rafting in the Upper Arkansas River Basin for 2004-2005. A
copy of the letter is attached.

Arkansas Valley Conduit: At your November meeting you agreed to send a resolution of
support for SB 1050, the Arkansas Valley Conduit legislation. The Board's resolution of support
is being revised, consistent with the Board's instructions, to reflect information received from
basin water supply providers and will be transmitted to the appropriate Congressional
Committees and the Colorado delegation by the end of this month.

Arkansas River Compact Administration Annual Meeting: The Compact Administration
held its Annual Meeting in Lamar on Dec. 9, 2003. Discussions with Kansas were cordial and
productive. An amendment to the Operating Principles for the Trinidad Project was approved,
resolving outstanding issues on irrigated acreage tracking and verification and winter stockwater
deliveries. The willingness ofthe Purgatoire River Water Conservancy District to compromise .
their serious concerns and the leadership of Brian Person and his staff from USBR were
instrumental in this process. We were not successful in reaching agreement on a new water
source for the John Martin Reservoir (JMR) permanent pool on behalf of the Division of
Wildlife, due to particular engineering concerns about the required consumptive use calculations.
Kansas did indicate an appreciation for the importance ofthepermanent pool and a willingness
to consider refined consumptive use methods and/or alternate water sources. Progress was also
made on methods to resolve long standing JMR accounting disagreements, with a schedule of
future meetiJilgs and communication milestones put into place.

Fountain Creek Transit Loss Study: While awaiting enactment of the 2004 Construction Fund
Bill authorizing the Board's financial participation in this project, staff has been participating in
coordination meetings with interested agencies and the USGS. We also anticipate receiving a
severance tax grant request from the Southeastern Colorado Water Conservancy District to cost
share with them on model improvements beneficial to water users with the District.
Conceptually we may be looking at a $600,000 study funded 1/3 by the CWCB, 1/3 by basin
water users, and 1/3 by the USGS. A key issue will be identifying in-basin entities that will fund
and guide future model updates on an ongoing basis.

Kansas v. Colorado Decision: The Special Master's Forth Report has been filed with the U.S.
Supreme Court, and the Court has set Jan. 22, 2004 as the deadline for the states to file
excepti('ms-to-his-findings-and-recommendations~Golorado's-attomeys-have-recommended---
against filing any exceptions. Future efforts will be focused on developing data to refine HI
model determinations of State line depletions and the adequacy of Color ado's compliance efforts
to offset any potential depletions, pursuant to the Special Master's recommendation for retained
jurisdiction. In this regard the CWCB is assisting the Division 2 Engineer in a required update of
irrigated acreage in the HI model area of the Arkansas mainstem. We are also discussing with

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