BOARD01318

• Board Meeting Date: 9/13/2005
• Description: CWCB Director's Report
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Memo

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generates forecasts and the progression of the forecast throughout spring 2005. Forecasts for the
Dolores Basin and the North Fork of the Gunnison were very close to actual runoff, but in the .
Upper Gunnison SNOTEL values were consistently above average while runoff was
approximately 80% of average. Various factors including a lack of SNOTEL sites in certain
areas of the basin as well as residents' observations of a lack of snow at lower elevations in the
basin may partially explain the difference between the SNOTEL values and the spring runoff.
2. Due to lower than expected runoff in the Upper Gunnison basin, Blue Mesa reservoir did not fill.
Taylor Park also did not achieve a physical fill. The North Fork Gunnison reservoirs such as
Paonia received above average inflows and filled. Silveljack and Ridgway Reservoirs also filled.
3. The National Park Service announced it would continue to work to reach agreement on its request
for designation of Outstanding Waters, even if that meant missing the November 2005 deadline
for consideration in the next triennial review.
4. Andrea Ray of the NOAA Climate Diagnostics Center (CDC) presented data on the seasonal
climate forecasts, which indicate a warmer than average winter for most of the western U.S. but
don't provide a strong indication of winter precipitation for Colorado.
5. Don Phillips reported that Reclamation will once again be dredging below Morrow Point
reservoir to remove sediment deposited by the Cimarron River. COOT will again use the
removed sediment and no changes in water quantity or quality should be seen below Crystal
reservolf .
6. The USFWS reported that 4 pikeminnow and 4 razorback sucker (all stocked fish from 2001 and
2002) used the Redlands fish ladder in July and August. Stocking continues and larval razorback
sucker have been found for 3 years, indicating stocked fish are returning and spawning.
7. The fish screen at Redlands diversion dam is almost complete. Redlands continues to divert
through their bypass but will soon decide whether to operate the fish screen manually and use
their regular diversion structure or continue to divert through the bypass until the SCADA system
is installed on the fish screen. .
8. The CRWCD has received an NRCS grant to integrate water quality and other data for the North
Fork of the Gunnison into a GIS format.
9. UGRWCD has closed the sale on Meridian Lake and dam rehabilitation is underway. UGRWCD
also reported working with the North Fork of the Gunnison on augmentation plan education.
10. CDOW requested flows of approximately 550 cfs for several days in late September while they
conduct their annual fishery inventories.
II. Work on the Aspinall Unit Re-Operation EIS continues. Current discussions center on definition
of the no action alternative. The Board will be presented with further information on this matter
at the Board meeting.

Platte River Basin

Bear Creek Lake Reservoir: The CWCB holds water rights for storage in Bear Creek Lake Reservoir.
A portion (2,000 acre-feet) of the 3,989 acre-foot water storage right has been decreed absolute for
recreational and piscatorial purposes and provides for the current permanent pool at the reservoir. The
1,989 acre-feet, remaining is still conditional as are the uses for municipal, industrial, irrigation and
domestic purposes. Diligence on the remaining conditional amounts and uses was filed with the water
court on August 31, 2005.

South Platte Forum: The South Platte Forum will be on October 26-27,2005 in Longmont Colorado.
This year's forum is entitled: "From the Headwaters through the Urban Kidney to the State Line" and will
feature Don Ament, Patty Wells, and Rick Brown, among others, as speakers.w
4th Annual Hil!' Thomnson River Revival Planned Sentember 24-25. 2005:The dav will bel!'in with a river .

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