BOARD01164

• Board Meeting Date: 3/21/2006
• Description: CWCB Director's Report
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Memo

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applied a plan for augmentation and conditional appropriative right of exchange to replace depletions from
snowmaking and domestic water uses at Echo Mountain, a winter skiing and snowboard park located
within the Warren Gulch watershed, tributary to Clear Creek. The Board's instream flow water rights on .
Little Bear Creek and Soda Creek are located downstream of Echo Mountain and above Soda Creek's
confluence with Clear Creek. Part of EMJ's replacement sources are directly tributary to Clear Creek and
will not reach Soda Creek or Little Bear Creek. To the extent that some or alI of the projected depletions
from the Echo Mountain wells will accrue to the Little Bear Creek and Soda Creek ISF reaches, EMJ
proposed to implement a mitigation plan designed to improve the water quality of Little Bear Creek and
lower Soda Creek. To mitigate injury to Little Bear Creek and Soda Creek, EMJ proposed to chipseal an
approximately Y. mile portion of the county road adjacent to Little Bear Creek, which will reduce a major
source of sediment loading to both Little Bear Creek and Soda Creek. The paving project would extend
from the confluence of Little Bear Creek with Soda Creek up to a point just above the confluence of Little
Bear Creek with Warren Gulch. At the Board meeting, Board members and Trout Unlimited raised
several concerns with the mitigation proposal, resulting in staff being asked to folIow up on several
issues.

In December 2005, CDOW staff and a representative of Trout Unlimited inspected the subject reaches of
Little Bear Creek and Soda Creek. In February 2006, CWCB and CDOW staff members met with
representatives of EMJ and Trout Unlimited to discuss observations made at the December 2005 site visit
and whether alternative proposals should be explored. At that meeting, the attendees concluded that
while the proposal to chipseal the road along Little Bear Creek below its confluence with Warren Gulch
may end up to be the preferred mitigation alternative, other mitigation alternatives should be explored.
To that end, the CDOW, in consultation with the Applicant's consultant and with Trout Unlimited, will
conduct additional field work on Little Bear Creek, starting during or just after the spring run-off. The
purpose of the field work is to more fully evaluate (1) the current condition of Little Bear Creek; (2) the
potential impacts ofEMJ's operations on the Creek; and (3) the benefits the proposed mitigation would
provide to the Creek; and to explore other mitigation alternatives. The parties' goal is to bring either the .
original mitigation proposal or a different proposal to the Board at its September 2006 meeting.

Cherry Creek Probable MaxImum Flood (PMF) Study: On February I, 2006 CWCB staff met with
various members ofthe Corps of Engineers team that has been assembled to participate with activities
related to the PMF study. The Corps of Engineers Study Manager, Mr. John Palensky, chaired the
meeting and provided an overview of the process along with projected key milestones of the study. This
meeting was considered to be an internal kick-off to re-initiate studies based on direction received from
Colorado Congressional delegates Tom Tancredo and Joel Hefley who approved the Corps to move
forward with the Cherry Creek PMF Study. The Corps wilI work closely with the Cherry Creek Advisory
Committee and the CWCB during this important next phase of the work. This PMF study will be
completed by Omaha Corps professional staff. The Corps and the CWCB are developing a work plan and
meeting schedule for the next year or two, and will jointly host a public meeting with the affected
communities (Aurora, Greenwood VilIage, Douglas County, and Arapahoe County) along with various
techoical experts. The ultimate goal in this process is to complete the PMF study and then develop dam
safety improvement recommendations at Cherry Creek Reservoir that are acceptable to local, state, and
federal interests.

Chatfield Reservoir Reallocation Study: This project is slated for completion in late 2006. However
this time line may need to be extended based on water user requests for more time to complete the
reallocation of storage space, along with a new element of environmental restoration that potentially
could be added to the study. he Chatfield Reservoir Reallocation Group has met on a regular basis
including the most recent meeting in February 2006. The group wilI meet again in late April to continue
discussions and progress updates on the overall study process. To recap, the fundamental scope of the
study is to look at the feasibility of converting flood control storage space in Chatfield Reservoir, owned .

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