BOARD01525

• Board Meeting Date: 5/23/2005
• Description: Water Conservation and Drought Mitigation Guidelines for Board Action
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Memo

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Final Draft for Discussion Purposes Only

GUIDELINES FOR FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE TO COVERED ENTITIES
TO DEVELOP WATER CONSERVATION PLANS

I. Background

The Water Conservation Act of 2004 , adopted by the 2004 Colorado General Assembly under
House Bill 04-1365, created a mechanism for the Colorado Water Conservation Board ("Board")
to appropriate and expend such revenues as are necessary from the unobligated balance of the
five percent share of the operational account of the Severance Tax Trust Fund for purposes of the
Office of Water Conservation and Drought Planning ("Office") providing financial assistance to
covered entities to develop water conservation plans that meet the provisions of 937-60-126 (6)
C.R.S. Therefore, moneys may be available, depending on availability of funds, to support the
development of water conservation plans for Colorado covered entities.

Further, the Colorado General Assembly has indicated that water conservation means water use
efficiency, wise water use, water transmission and distribution system efficiency, and supply
substitution. The objective of water conservation is a long-term increase in the productive use of
water supply in order to satisf'y water supply needs without compromising desired water services.
Under ~37-60-126, covered entities seeking funds from the Board or the Colorado Water
Resources and Power Development Authority (CWRP A) must have approved Water
Conservation Plans on file with the Office.

2. Intent of the Board

It is the explicit intent of the Board to work with water users and local entities to increase
meaningful water conservation in the state by:

. Increasing the number of local entities with CWCB approved water conservation plans;
. Improving the nature and breadth of water conservation practices at the local level; and
. Increasing the amount of technical assistance that the CWCB provides to local entities.

With these objectives in mind, the Board intends to administer the Water Conservation Plan
Development Fund for purposes of providing assistance to the following:

. Covered entities that require Water Conservation Plans to qualif'y for water project
funding under Board and CWRP A programs;
. Covered entities that need to update and/or amend existing Water Conservation Plans
currently on file with the Office to maintain funding from the Board or the CWRP A in
adherence with ~37-60-126;
. Covered entities that desire to improve, update, and/or create Water Conservation Plans;
and
. Entities that will soon become covered entities, given expected growth trends, which
either require or desire Water Conservation Plans.

5/12/2005