BOARD01267

• Board Meeting Date: 11/16/2004
• Description: CWCB Director's Report
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Memo

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Arkansas River Compact Administration: The Administration and its three committees will meet
on Dec. 13-14 in Lamar for the Annual Meeting. No major new issues are anticipated to be before the
Administration, but there will be a continuing effort to resolve disputed accounting issues under the
1980 Operating Plan for John Martin Reservoir.

Kansas v. Colorado, Arkansas Valley Lysimeter \Litigation Account: Kansas v Colorado,
Litigation Account: The Board is funding a number of activities related to the ongoing litigation with
Kansas over the Arkansas River Compact. Since the Board's March 2004 decision to grant the
Attorney General's request the bulk of those funds, $750,000, will come from the Litigation Account
of the Construction Fund. In addition to the litigation account we are using severance tax and
construction funds to assist with an update and enhancement of irrigated acreage mapping along the
Arkansas mainstem.

Besides meeting modeling needs for Compact compliance determinations, this effort will provide a
basis for future Decision Support System implementation in the basin. We are also using the
construction fund to cooperate with the USGS on a study of groundwater pumping measurement
methods.

We are now under way on the following activities:
1. Completed first year of three-year study of irrigation monitoring with Colorado State
University (CSU), and begun purchasing of weather station enhancements.
2. Assigned initial tasks to engineering consultants who will review modifications to the HI
Model and serve as expert witnesses in the concluding phase ofthe case.
3. Developed a plan to have CSU build two lysimeters at its Rocky Ford Research Farm.
Outside peer review of the preliminary design drawings and plan is nearing completion.
We have begun drafting funding agreements with CSU covering installation and operation
ofthe lysimeters. Hopefully, a final construction plan will soon be in place, and the project
will be operational for the start of the 2005 growing season.
4. As of the end of September approximately $40,000 has been expended from the account.

Staff will closely monitor the progress and costs on these projects and will provide the Board with
periodic updates in the Director's Report. At Board members request more detailed information can be
presented under the regular agenda.

Lower Arkansas Valley Water Conservancy District: The District has announced the appointment
of a new General Manager, Ralph "Jay" Winner, a graduate ofCSU-Pueblo, with a background in
farming and public works management. Board staff provided a briefing on the Arkansas River
Compact to a District Board member, and discussed participation by the District in the upcoming
ARCA Annual Meeting. Recently, the District has begun discussions with DOW, Parks, and LA WMA
on potential cooperative projects that may benefit well users, assist with the State's compact
compliance obligations, and enhance the permanent pool at John Martin Reservoir State Park.

Arkansas Valley Conduit: It now appears unlikely that Sen. Allard's efforts to secure authorization
for federal funding for this project by the Corps will not succeed in this Congress and new legislation
will have to be re-introduced in 2005.

The Southeastern Water Conservancy District (SECWCD), which is coordinating the group ofproject
beneficiaries, has completed an updated cost and feasibility study. The update study by Black and
Veatch indicates that project costs have increased by about 25 percent to $250 million dollars,
primarily due to rising materials cost.

While the update provides more confidence in the accuracy ofthe financial aspects of the project, the

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