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<br />identifying areas in need of additional water for conservation purposes, This project is being funded by a
<br />discretionary grant from the Colorado Wildlife Commission,
<br />
<br />In addition to written guidelines, the Trust will develop maps of areas where organizations are working to
<br />protect water dependant natural environments, and areas where additional water is needed to protect water-
<br />dependant natural environments, The Trust plans to release a written report in June,
<br />
<br />MEGA Board: On May 13 the state Minerals, Energy and Geology Policy Advisory Board met in Denver.
<br />We presented the applications and recommendations for about $2,2, million in funding for projects from the
<br />Severance Tax Trust Fund Operational Account. We learned that most agencies are presenting requests for
<br />funding that is roughly equal to last year. We will determine how much total funding is available to us and
<br />present recommendations for [mal review and approval when the MEGA Board meets again on June 18 in
<br />Glenwood Springs,
<br />
<br />Water Center Newsletter: The latest issue of Colorado Water, published by the Water Center ofCSU, is
<br />available on-line at www,cwrri,colostate,edu, The newsletter contains lots of information about awards, grant
<br />opportunities, upcoming meetings, summaries of news articles about water issues published throughout the
<br />state and a calendar of events,
<br />
<br />Colorado Flood Task Force: The Flood Task Force (FTF) kicked off the 2002 season with a meeting on
<br />April 17 , The FTF will meet from April through September to coordinate flood related activities, monitor
<br />extreme weather conditions and share information, Representatives from the NRCS, USGS, CWCB, CGS,
<br />DWR, Department of Local Affairs, the Corps, media, and Senator Wayne Allard's Office were there,
<br />
<br />John Henz ofHDR Engineering presented a short term and long-term weather forecast. Arizona, Montana
<br />and East Coast states are having the driest year on record, A split storm track is sending moisture to the north
<br />and south of Colorado, Henz does see an El Nino event building but it my take until next fall to affect
<br />Colorado's weather.
<br />
<br />Snowpack and reservoir storage report were given by the NRCS, On April 16 statewide snowpack was 31
<br />percent of average, The NRCS has also added a new category to its forecast maps that is designated as purple
<br />and is "extremely below average", Mike Gillespie stated that this is the fifth consecutive year of below
<br />average snowpack in Colorado, NRCS will be adding soil moisture sensors to some of the SNOTEL sites
<br />this summer to capture the affects of infiltration affects during spring run off,
<br />
<br />The State Engineer's Report stated that Clear Creek had a call down to an 1861 water right and the South
<br />Platte had a call on the river down to an 1871 water right. This was the first time in many years that a call
<br />was placed on a tributary to a mainstem of a river. Reservoir storage is decent for now but water users
<br />should be quickly drawing reservoirs down and that may affect recreation later this summer.
<br />
<br />After their snow pack, reservoir storage and streamflow forecasts the agencies reported on a program related
<br />news,
<br />
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<br />
<br />Planning Grants are available and Barry cress ofthe DOLA is the contact at 866-2352,
<br />
<br />The Corps discussed their role as one of inspection and maintenance of flood control projects, The Corps
<br />listed emergency managers able to assist in flooding and other natural disasters, There 24-hour emergency
<br />numbers are: Don Soards- Albuquerque (505) 342-3269, Cell Cloward-Sacramento (916) 557-6919, and
<br />Phyllis Pistillo - Omaha (402) 221-4148,
<br />
<br />NRCS gave copies of their Emergency Watershed Protection Program notebook. To utilize the program
<br />requests start at the county level and the program's cost share is 75 percent federal and 25 percent local.
<br />Examples ofEWP projects are grass seeding after the Buffalo Creek Fires of 1996 and lining the Arkansas
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