BOARD01876

• Board Meeting Date: 7/23/2001
• Description: WSP Section - Colorado River Basin Issues - Ruedi Reservoir - Proposed Annual Contract to Deliver 10,825 AF to Endangered Fish in 15-Mile Reach
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Memo

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Colorado Water Conservation Board
Department of Natural Resources
1313 Sherman Street, Room 721
Denver, Colorado 80203
Phone: [phone]
FAX: [phone]
www.cwcb.state.co.us

STATE OF COLORADO

Q

MEMORANDUM

Bill Owens
Governor

TO:

Greg E. Walcher
Executive Director
Rod Kuharich
(WeB Director
Dan McAuliffe
Deputy Director

FROM:

Colorado Water Conservation Board Members

Randy Seaholm ~
Chief, Water Supply Protection

DATE: July 12, 2001

SUBJECT: Agenda Item 23h, July 23-24, 2001, Board Meeting-
Colorado River Basin Issues -
Ruedi Reservoir - Proposed Annual Contract to Deliver 10,825 AF to
Endangered Fish in the IS-Mile Reach

Backl!round

The Recovery Implementation Program for Endangered Fish Species in the Upper
Colorado River Basin (Recovery Program) committed to entering into an interim long-
term contract for the unsold portion of the regulatory capacity remaining in Ruedi
Reservoir following Round II water sales. This Recovery Program action is also a
component of the reasonable and prudent alternative identified by the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service (Service) in the amended Ruedi Round II water sales Biological Opinion
dated January 6, 1999. Following the Round II sales, the remaining unsold regulatory
capacity was 21,650 AF (total regulatory capacity is 51,500 AF). This 21,650 AF is
provided in addition to the existing 40-year Memorandum of Agreement for 10,000 AF .
(5,000 from storage and 5,000 available on average in four out of five years through
modified operations of Ruedi) for endangered fish purposes. Thus, through December
31, 1999 the total amount of water that could have been delivered from Ruedi Reservoir
for endangered fish purposes was 31,650 AF.
However, pursuant to the Final Programmatic Biological Opinion for the Upper
Colorado River, dated December 1999, the 21,650 AF from Ruedi may be reduced by
one-half when water users provide the ot\1er 10,825 AF from other sources. The water
users (Denver Water and Colorado River Water Conservation District) approved interim
agreements with the Service and this Board in April 2000 for providing that 10,825 AF.
Thus, the amount of last year's Ruedi water contract with Reclamation was limited to
10,825 AF as is this contract for 2001.

Discussion

The proposed contract (Attachment 1) is identical to the 2000 I-year contract for
10,825 AF with the following exceptions and necessary date changes:

Flood Protection. Water Project Planning and Financing. Stream and lake Protection
Water Supply Protection. Conservation Planning