BOARD01657

• Board Meeting Date: 3/24/2003
• Description: Fish & Wild life Mitigation Accound Requests
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Memo

PROCEDURE:

NOTE:

Prior to a Board meeting, the CWCB staff will prepare for the Board's
consideration a summary of tl).e technical, [mancial, and institutional
characteristics of each proposed instream flow water right appropriation or
acquisition, river restoration feasibility study or construction project.
Each application will be reviewed for conformity with the goals and
objectives of the CWCB Strategic Plan. Grant applications will be
considered only in the following two categories:

.

1. The appropriation or acquisition of water rights for the
purpose of preserving or improving the natural environment
to a reasonable degree to mitigate the impact of an existing
water facility.
2. River restoration feasibility studies and construction projects
that are designed to directly mitigate or significantly
improve the environmental impacts of existing water
facilities.

The Board will consider and CWCB staff will evaluate and recommend to
the Board grant aO'plications for aooropriation or acquisition of water
rig:hts to be held by the Board b~sed on the following project types:
. Instream flow water rights that assist in the administration of
compact-entitled waters, or address problems relating to compact-
entitled waters,
. Instream flow water rights that facilitate the resolution of
federal water rights issues, and .
. Instream flow water rights that assist in the recovery of
threatened or endangered, wildlife species or the conservation of
existing wildlife species within riparian ecosystems.

The Board will consider and CWCB staff will evaluate and recommend to
the Board grant applications for river restoration feasibility studies and
construction proiects based on the following:
. Soundness of the project design, work plan or plan of study,
. The need for the proposed project,
. The need for financial assistance.
. Financial, technical, or ach,'ninistrative participation or coordination by
all affected local governrn~nts.

Recognizing that future needs and responses to those needs cannot be
predicted with certainty, the Colorado Water Conservation Board reserves
the right to recommend for funding any instream flow acquisition, river
restoration construction proje~t, or study that it determines would mitigate
the effects of an existing wate\: supply facility and furthers the purposes of
the Fish and Wildlife Resources Fund.

.