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<br />~ <br /> <br />-t' <br /> <br />STATE OF COLORADO <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />Colorado Water Conservation Board <br /> <br />Department of Natural Resources <br />1313 Sherman Street, Room 721 <br />Denver, Colorado 80203 <br />Phone: (303) 866-3441 <br />FAX: (303) 866-4474 <br />www.cwcb.state.co.us <br /> <br /> <br />MEMORANDUM <br /> <br />Bill Owens <br />Governor <br /> <br />To: <br /> <br />Colorado Water Conservation Board Members <br /> <br />Russell George <br />Executive Director <br /> <br />From: <br /> <br />Randy Seaholm PflJ- <br />Michelle Garrison MDC. <br /> <br />Rod Kuharich <br />CWCB Director <br /> <br />Date: <br /> <br />September 1, 2005 <br /> <br />Rick Brown <br />Acting <br />Deputy Director <br /> <br />Re: <br /> <br />Agenda Item 16, September 13-14, 2005 Meeting <br />Water Supply Protection Section <br />Aspinall EIS - No Action Alternative Discussion <br /> <br />Introduction <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />On January 21,2004 the u.s. Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) began an Environmental Impact <br />Statement (EIS) process 10 consider re-operation of the Aspinall Unit to attempt to meet the 2003 U.S. <br />Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) flow recommendations for the Gunnison River at Whitewaler or a <br />reasonable alternative thereto. Upon completion of the EIS the USBR will forward the selecled <br />altemative to the USFWS for Section 7 Consullation pursuant to the Endangered Species Act. <br /> <br />As stated in the Federal Register (Vol. 69, No. 13, January 21,2004), "the purpose ofReclamalion's <br />proposed action is to operate the Aspinall Unit to avoid jeopardy to endangered species while <br />maintaining the congressionally authorized Unit purposes." <br /> <br />Cooperating agencies in this EIS process include: <br />. Colorado Department of Natural Resources (EDO, CWCB, CDOW, and CDWR), <br />. Colorado River Water Conservation District (CRWCD), <br />. Platte River Power Authority (PRP A), <br />. Southwestern Water Conservation District (SWWCD), <br />. Western Area Power Administration (W AP A), <br />. Nalional Park Service (NPS), and <br />. US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). <br /> <br />Cooperating agencies have met with Reclamation regularly since November 2004. Discussions have <br />focused on the No Action Alternative, its definition, and which current or future Aspinall operations <br />should be included. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />Colorado Water Conservation Board <br />Flood Protection. Water Supply Planning and Finance. Stream and Lake Protection <br />Water Supply Protection. Conservation and Drought Planning <br />