BOARD02050

• Board Meeting Date: 5/22/2000
• Description: Compacts Section - Colorado river basin issues - interim water delivery agreement amendment no. 1 - endangered fish species - aspinall storage unit - colorado river storage project
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Memo

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STATE OF COLORADO

Colorado Water Conservation Board

Department of Natural Resources
1313 Sherman Street, Room 721
Denver, Colorado 80203
Phone' [phone]
FAX, [phone]

Q

MEMORANDUM

Bill Owens
Governor

TO:

Colorado Water Conservation Board Members

FROM:

Greg E. Walcher
Executive Director

Randy Seaholm
Chief, Water Supply Protection Section
Vince Prichard v.(J
Member, Water Supply Protection Section

Peter H. Evans
eWeB Director

Dan McAuliffe
Depu ty Director

DATE: May 16,2000

SUBJECT: Consent Agenda Item 4-2, May 22-23, 2000 Board Meeting -
Colorado River Basin Issues,
Interim Water Delivery Agreement Amendment No. I,
Endangered Fish Species, Aspinall Storage Unit,
Colorado River Storage Project

Introduction

On August 16, 1995, the United States Department ofthe Interior, Bureau of
Reclamation (Reclamation), the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), and
the Colorado Water Conservation Board (Board) entered into a Memorandum of
Agreement (MOA), Contract No. 95-07-40-RI760. The MOA provided for the release of
water from storage in the Aspinall Unit during the months of July through October to
alleviate low flow conditions in the Gunnison River below Redlands Diversion Dam for
endangered fish purposes. The MOA would remain in effect for five years or until the
conclusion of Section 71 consultation on Aspinall Unit operations and issuance of a final
biological opinion by the Service. The MOA also provided that all signatory parties
could renew the MOA for an additional period of five years upon agreement by all such
parties.

Discussion

Section 7 consultation on Aspinall Unit operations is not yet complete, and the
Service has not yet issued a final biological opinion. The MOA will expire on August 16,
2000, unless the parties renew it as provided in Article 2b of the MOA. Reclamation has
offered an amendment to this agreement extending the terms of the original agreement

1 Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act (16 U.S.c. 1536)