BOARD01512

• Board Meeting Date: 8/26/1988
• Description: CWCB Meeting
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Meeting

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COLORADO WATER CONSERVATION BOARD
Department oi ,'Jatural Resources
721 Stale Centennial Building
1 J 1 J Sherman Street
Denver. Colurddo 80203
Phone: [phone]

STATE OF COLORADO
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July 25, 1988

The Honorable Hank Brown
U.S. House of Representatives
1510 Longworth House Office Bldg.
Washington, D.C. 20515

Rov Romer
Governor
I. William McDonald
Director
David W. Walker
Deputy Director

Dear Congressman Brown:

(same letter sent
to all Colorado
Congressmen)

I am writing to express the Colorado Water Conservation
Board's opposition to H.R. 3400, a bill to increase the amounts
authorized to be appropriated for the Colorado River Storage
Project for the sole benefit of the Central Utah Project.
The bill was marked up and reported out of the Water and Power
Subcommittee, Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs, on
July 14. The mark up vehicle was an amendment in the nature of
a substitute bill. This substitute bill is a lengthy and
complex piece of legislation which came to light only within
the last few weeks and in which Colorado was provided no
opportunity for input.

At its July 14-.15, 1988, Board meeting, the Board voted
unanimOUSly to oppose the passage of the substitute bill unless
it is amended to provide benefits to the Gtate of Colorado
which are equivalent to those to be received by the Central
Utah Project through the use of Colorado River Storage Project
power revenues for: (1) the retirement of debt incurred for
the non-federal financing of water projects, and (2) such fish
and wildlife mitigation and recreational enhancement measures
associated with our Colorado River Storage Project
participating projects and the Aspinall Unit as the state deems
appropriate. My analysis of the legiSlation and the reasons
for Colorado's objections to it are set forth in the enclosed
July 7 memorandum. Although my memorandum was based upon an
earlier version of the substitute bill than reported out by the
House subcommittee on July 14, the Objections expressed therein
continue to be applicable.

What the subject legiSlation attempts to do, for the sole
benefit of the Central Utah Project, is circumvent the
apportionment of power revenues among the four Upper Basin
states which is called for by section 5(e) of the Colorado
River Storage Project Act of 1956. For the reasons set forth
on page 6 of the enclosed memorandum, the Board believes that
Colorado must strenuously oppose this aspect of the legislation
unless amendments are made which would provide equal treatment
for all four Upper Basin states.

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