BOARD01423

• Board Meeting Date: 1/25/2005
• Description: Flood Section - Presentation of Colorado Stream and Watershed Restoration Program Elements
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Memo

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STATE OF COLORADO

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Colorado Water Conservation Board

Department of Natural Resources
1313 Sherman Street, Room 721
Denver, Colorado 80203
Phone: (303) S66-3441
FAX, [phone]
www.cwcb.state.co.us

Bill Owens
Governor

MEMORANDUM

Russell George
Executive Director

TO:
FROM:
DATE:
SUBJECT:

Colorado Water Conservation Board Members Rod Kuharich
Larry Lang, P.E., Chief, Flood Protection Section CWCB Director
January 12, 2005 Dan McAuliffe
Agenda Item 8, January 25-26,2005 Board Meeting Deputy Director
Presentation of Colorado Stream and Watershed Restoration Program Elements

Background

Colorado's Stream and Watershed Restoration Program faces many challenges. The program requires an integration
of river mechanics, environmental concerns, and water quality issues, while addressing funding shortfalls.
Notwithstanding those challenges, the program presents the Board with important opportunities.

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At the November 2004 Board meeting in Golden, the Statewide Water Supply Initiative (SWSI) was presented.
Included in the implementation recommendations of the SWSI report was a recommendation that the Flood Protection
Section should "identifY areas of the state that would benefit from (river restoration) projects when combined with a
SWSI identified project". The report also included a recommendation that the Flood Protection Section should
"identifY and exploit federal funding opportunities".

Previously, at the July 2004 Board meeting in Delta, the Board was introduced to a the proposed "Rocky Mountain
Headwaters Partnership", a proposal for a regional initiative for federal funding to support watershed restoration work
in the Rocky Mountain headwaters states of Montana, Wyoming, Utah, and Colorado. The proposal would provide
funding for local watershed groups within the four states to conduct watershed restoration planning studies and
implementation activities in their respective local watersheds. The staff is reviewing numerous federal agency
programs to determine which of those federal programs will best serve Colorado's financial needs and the CWCB's
programs and objectives.

The attached Board resolution will provide formal CWCB endorsement of a somewhat modified concept for funding
CWCB stream and watershed restoration programs with federal money. The resolution outlines Colorado's water
resource requirements, the benefits of stream and watershed restoration programs in helping to meet those
requirements, and the possibilities for expanding the Board's existing programs. The resolution then directs the staff
to assist and cooperate in the creation of federal funding initiatives.

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Colorado Water Conservation Board
Flood Protection. Water Supply Planning and Finance. Stream and Lake Protection
Water Supply Protection" Conservation and Drought Planning