BOARD01367

• Board Meeting Date: 3/16/2004
• Description: CWCB Director's Report
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Memo

document to adjudicate its water rights and provide for water development projects in exchange
for a release of claims to water that could potentially displace existing Non-Navajo water users
in the San Juan River Basin in the northwestern part of the state. A draft proposal was made
public on December 5, 2003 and a revised draft is cxpected latcr this Spring,

On Feb, 24 wc sent a letter to the Ncw Mexico State Engineer expressing our concerns about the
proposed federal reserved water right settlement with the Navajo's, Copies of this letter were
sent to the Board members and representatives of may other federal and state agencies, We are
still awaiting a response from New Mexico, but have been assured that one is being prepared,

Navajo Dam and Reservoir Draft Biological Opinion: On Feb, 23 we sent comments to
Reclamation objecting to the addition of the Southwestern Willow Flycatcher and certain other
requirements in the draft Biological Opinion, Board members and others were provided copies
of the comment letter, A conference call was scheduled for Mar, 8 to discuss how Reclamation
should proceed in addressing the draft biological opinion. We may have further information to
provide during the Board meeting,

La Plata River Compact and Long Hollow Reservoir: We are working with project
proponents and Reclamation to obtain some depletion data from the Jicarilla Apache, This data
is necessary in order to make the model runs required as part ofthe Section 7 consultation. We
are disturbed by the delay in obtaining this data from them,

In addition, wc are working with the project proponents to address the concerns raised during the
public comment period on thc BA for the 404 Permit. Developing a project operating plan that
will meet compact delivery obligations, provide supplemental water for irrigators in the basin
and protect native fish species in the La Plata downstream of Long Hollow is proving to be the
biggest challenge,

Search for General Manager: The search for a neW general manager continues as the Dolores
Water Conservancy District (DWCD) has narrowed its selection to a handful of candidates,

Finalists for DWCD's general manager position are all from Colorado but not the immediate
area, They are: Gerald Knapp, of Rocky Ford; Dirk Nelson, of Bay field; Rebecca Nichols, of
Montrose and Philip Saletta, of Monument. Nelson and Nichols are self-employed, and Knapp
and Saletta work in the water industry,

To ease the transition, the water district has asked former general manager John Porter to serve
as a consultant for the district.

Former District manager Steve Arveschoug has accepted a position as director ofthe Historic
Arkansas Riverwalk of Pueblo.

Groups Study McPhee Plan: Members of the McPhee Recreation Planning Committee will
attempt to coordinate their efforts to draft a master plan for recreation at McPhee Reservoir this
year with the re-write of the Forest Plan for the San Juan National Forest that will also begin this
year. The general forest plan will direct the next 10 years of the local forest management and will
include the Dolores district where McPhee Reservoir is located,

Below the dam, Dolores River users are discussing issues regarding stream health that have been
raised by Colorado Trout Unlimited,

Dolores River Dialogue Update: Colorado Trout Unlimited has filed an application with the .
state's Water Quality Control Commission to request the water released from McPhee be ..
declared impaired because of temperature and sediment. Some dialogue members have expressed
concern that the unilateral action seeking additional releases from McPhee could scuttle the
groups' efforts to reach compromise, A hearing on Trout Unlimited's request is scheduled for
early March,

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