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<br /> <br />STATE OF COLORADO <br /> <br />Colorado Water Consexvation Board <br />Department of Natural Resources <br />1313 Sherman Street, Room 721 <br />Denver, Colorado 80203 <br />Phone: (303) 866,3441 <br />FAX: (303) 866-4474 <br />www.cwcb.state.co.US <br /> <br />~ <br /> <br />Bill Owens <br />Governor <br /> <br />August 20, 2001 <br /> <br />GregE. Walcher <br />Executive Director <br /> <br />Rod Kuharich <br />Director <br /> <br />J'b.e HOQOrilP Ie G~le 1'{ortQA <br />;:;ecretary of the Interior <br />1849 C Street, NW <br />Washington, DC 20240 <br /> <br />. Dan McAuliffe <br />Deputy Director <br /> <br />Dear Secretary Norton: <br /> <br />At the July meeting of the Colorado Water Conservation Board in Montrose, our members <br />discussed a letter that was sent to you by Rep, Joel Hefley, Rep, Bob Schaffer and Rep Tom <br />Tancredo regarding the Bureau of Reclamation's modeling historic operations of the Aspinall <br />Storage Unit on the Gunnison River, <br /> <br />The Board, made up of representatives from each of Colorado major water basins, discussed the <br />implications of the letter and agreed that this modeling effort presents the opportunity to reiterate <br />that there is 300,000 acre-feet of water in this Storage Unit set-aside for consumptive use in <br />'Colorado, . <br /> <br />The Board urged me to remind you, as well as the Bureau of Reclamation, that this water is <br />critical to the state's future and any models prepared by the Bureau of Reclamation must <br />recognize the reservation of this water for use within our state under the Colorado River <br />Compact. Not to do so would render the modeling effort unsupportable, <br /> <br />Further, the Bureau of Reclamation, the National Park Service, and U.S, Fish & Wildlife Service <br />must rec.o gnize this increment of water reserved for future depletion in any operational modeling <br />or water rights claim they may be involved in, These federal agencies need not reserve or <br />allocate this water to any particular purpose or user within Colorado because, ultimately, the <br />citizens of our state will make that decision, . <br /> <br />You have my best wishes and my pledge to help in any way I can, <br /> <br /> <br />~ <br /> <br />Rod Kuharich <br />