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<br />by the U.S. Corps of Engineers (Corps), into water supply storage space. The target amount of space for
<br />the reallocation analysis has been 20,600 acre-feet, and the Corps has announced that the Antecedent
<br />Flood Study has been finalized and accepted by the peer review committee. In addition, final endorsement
<br />by the highest level of Corps officials has been received in writing which confinns that the new water
<br />supply storage space of 20,600 acre-feet can be made available pending the outcome of the EIS report and
<br />related studies. The ~^...."1tecedent Flood Study final report, Jale;:u DecemOer 2005, is avaiiabie for review at
<br />the CWCB office.
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<br />To recap, the current water users interested in water supply storage space are grouped into what is known
<br />as the Upstream and Downstream users. The Upstream group consists of are water users in the southern
<br />Denver Metro area including: (Parker W &S, South Metro Water Supply Authority, Centennial W &S,
<br />Castle Rock, Roxborough Metro District, Castle Pines Metro District, Castle Pines North Metro District,
<br />Hock Hocking Coalition, Perry Park Country Club, and Center of Colorado WCD). The Downstream
<br />group was assisted by Denver Water and the City and County of Denver and downstream aincludes:
<br />(Aurora, Brighton, Central WCD, Western Mutual Ditch Company, State Parks, and Denver Botanic
<br />Gardens). In addition, Mt. Carbon Metro District has expressed interest in obtaining allocated storage
<br />space from Chatfield.
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<br />Nearly all of the water users have transmitted letters to the Corps requesting status as Cooperating
<br />Agency, which allows them to review draft chapters of the EIS prior to the normal public review and
<br />comment period. Two chapters have been released thus far, and a third will be out very shortly.
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<br />The Corps has also released a revised study schedule that now indicates that potential water supply
<br />contracts with the water users would be made available in November 2007.
<br />
<br />Platte River Recovery - Colorado OKs Pack to Boost Flows for Nebraska HabItat: Colorado will
<br />ante up nearly $24 million to buy land and secure water for endangered birds and fish that rely on the
<br />Platte River in Nebraska. The hard-fought agreement with Nebraska, Wyoming and the federal
<br />government allows water utilities from Denver to Fort Collins to meet their obligations to protect four
<br />endangered species on the waterway: three birds - whooping cranes, piping plovers and interior least terns
<br />- and one fish - the pallid sturgeon. .
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<br />The Colorado Water Conservation Board, which is overseeing Colorado's role, approved the financing
<br />plan and expects the agreement to be signed by the governors of Colorado, Nebraska and Wyoming, as
<br />well as the U.S. Department of the Interior secretary, in October.
<br />
<br />The idea is to lease or purchase some 10,000 acres of land and use water from federal reservoirs in
<br />Wyoming and Nebraska's Lake McConaughey, as well as some from Colorado, to replenish the river's
<br />flows in a stretch of the Platte near Kearney, Neb. The flows in that region have been sharply depleted
<br />during the past 60 years, thanks in part to urban and agricultural water use in Colorado.
<br />The first phase of the recovery effort, 13 years long, is valued at roughly $300 million, including in-kind
<br />contributions of water and land. The federal government is slated to pay about $160 million in cash, and
<br />the states are paying about $30 million.
<br />
<br />The states' contributions break down like this: Water-strapped Colorado is putting in $24 million in cash
<br />and about 10,000 acre-feet of water; Wyoming is contributing $6 million in cash and about 25,000 acre-
<br />feet of water; and Nebraska is providing about 100,000 acre-feet of water and land. Finding the cash will
<br />require new legislation at the state and federal levels. If Colorado lawmakers approve, the state's Species
<br />Conservation Trust Fund would be tapped for most of the money, including $5 million this year to start
<br />buying land. If Colorado's state coffers can't cover the full $24 million, cities will have to contribute as
<br />well.
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