BOARD01008

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

e)

e)

Further in the opinion Judge Patrick wrote:

"Should the minimum for 'experts' be the limit--effectively what CWCB advocates-or should
an Applicant have the ability to obtain an Olympic quality water course.. .should they so decide.
The Court concludes that the scope ofthe project, subject to waste, speculation and the foregoing
criteria, are up to the Applicant."

The Board will take up this matter in executive session at the January Board meeting to decide
whether to appeal this decision.

GMUG Pathfinder Project Nears Completion: The Steering Committee for the Pathfinder
Project held its final meeting in early January. At that meeting, the Committee addressed final
edits to the Project Report, and the final report is now being prepared. That document will
include:

1. A summary of the Pathfinder process;
2. Strategies for instream flow management;
3. A list of "tools" that generally exist within the framework offederal and state
statutes, regulations, laws and policies that, when utilized, can provide for
instream flow protection or enhancement;
4. An interpretation of the application of Pathfinder "tools";
5. A matrix depicting recommended application of the "tools" in various settings.

Following a review of the completed Project Report, the Committee will transmit the report to
the Forest Supervisor for consideration in the on-going Forest Plan Revision process. It is
anticipated that the Committee's recommendations will be incorporated into the revised Forest
Plan.

The Pathfinder Project is a pilot program initiated by the Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre, and
Gunnison (GMUG) National Forests to provide external ideas, perspectives and options related
to strategic planning for instream flow protection on National Forest System lands. Since May
2000, representatives from 10 stakeholder groups, including water users, conservationists, water
regulators and resource management agencies have met on a regular basis to provide local
community perspectives, ideas and possible ways to manage for instream flows on National
Forest System lands. The mission ofthe Pathfinder Steering Committee is "to assist the Forest
Service in providing appropriate instream flow protection on the GMUG National Forest". It has
been suggested that the Pathfinder process and recommendations may have broad applicability
on other National Forest System lands in ColoradO, and other states as well. Bob Storch,
Supervisor for the GMUG National Forest, has been invited to present the results of the
Pathfinder Project at the CWCB's March 2004 meeting.

Platte River Basin

Windy Gap Firming Project Scoplng Report: Reclamation has posted a scoping report on this
proposed project that would allow the Windy Gap Project to "firm" or increase the amount of
water it presently diverts from the headwaters of the Colorado River in Grand County at
http://www.usbr.gov/gp/ecao/windygapscoping.htm.

~ig Thompson Watershed Forum Annual Meeting,-'fQi~ annuill me~ting_\\'mb~ held on
February 19 at the McKee Conference Center in Loveland. For more information colltactJiuleen
Simon at 970-613-6974 or [e-mail] Steve Adams at 970-962-3559.

Platte River Cooperative Agreement (CA) Update: The three state Governors and the Deputy
Secretary of the Interior have agreed to extend the CA until June 30, 2005. A preliminary Draft
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) has also been completed and will likely be publicly

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