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<br />. <br /> <br />· A trial to modifY the Tribal water right claims to conform with 2000 Amendments to the Settlement <br />Agreement is scheduled for mid-August. <br />· The Project Operations Committee (POC) has begun meeting again in efforts to develop an operating <br />entity for the ALP. An operating entity is highly desirable as project construction nears a point where <br />operational options, such as were to house project headquarters. should be considered. Also, bylaws <br />for an operating entity need to be developed given the several project sponsors\contractors. Work in <br />this area has proceeded very slowly given the diverse Tribal, Federal and local water provider <br />interests. <br />. The President's proposed 2007 budget recommended appropriations for the ALP of $57.4 million. <br />Project sponsors have been working with Congress Salazar seeking to increase project funding to $70 <br />million for FY 2007. The House Energy and Water Development Subcommittee on Appropriations is <br />scheduled to mark up the FY 07 budget bill the week of May Sib. <br /> <br />Reclamation Requests Comments on Draft Environmental Assessment on a Proposed Contrad for <br />Domestic Use of Pine River projed Water: On March 23, Reclamation's Western Colorado Area Office <br />announced that it has released a draft Environmental Assessment (EA) on a contract between the United <br />States and the Pine River Irrigation District (District) for the conversion of Pine River Project Water from <br />irrigation to miscellaneous purposes. The EA evaluates a proposal to provide domestic water supplies to a <br />rapidly growing population in the general area of southeast La Plata and southeast Archuleta Counties in <br />Colorado. Under the proposal, a limited amount of the irrigation water stored in Vallecito Reservoir, the <br />primary feature of the Pine River Project, would be converted for domestic and other uses. The draft EA <br />was prepared by Reclamation in cooperation with the District to comply with the National Environmental <br />Policy Act. <br /> <br />An electronic copy ofthe draft EA is available at www.usbr.l!ov/uc/wcao/ under Current Focus. <br />. Following the review period of this draft, a final EA will be prepared. <br /> <br />Southwestern Water Conservation District - Annnal Water Seminar: The District held its 24th <br />Annual Water Seminar on April 7, 2006. The theme of the seminar was. "A Recap of the Colorado <br />River." Perspectives on the February 2006 7-Basin State proposal for Lower Basin Shortage Guidelines <br />and the Coordinated Management of Lakes Powell and Mead under Low Reservoir Conditions were <br />made by Rick Gold, U.S Bureau of Reclamation, Jim Lochhead, Upper Basin view, and the Lower Basin <br />view was provided by Kay Brothers from the Southern Nevada Water Authority. I spoke on the states <br />view and Colorado River issues in general and Russell George spoke on the HB 1177 process. There <br />were also presentations on weather modification and Tamarisk control. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />Recently Deereed Instream Flow Water Rights (DIvision 7): The following instream flow <br />appropriations have been decreed by the Water Courts: <br /> <br />Stream <br />Deer Park Creek <br />Ma . e Gulch <br />Minnie Gulch <br /> <br />Case No. <br />7-05CW50 <br />7-05CW51 <br />7-05CW52 <br /> <br /> <br />Coun <br />San Juan <br />San Juan <br />San Juan <br /> <br />riation Date <br />25,2005 <br />25,2005 <br />25,2005 <br /> <br />Yampa/Whlte River Basin <br /> <br />Yampa River Plays Important Role In Recovery of Endangered Fish: Biologists from the Colorado <br />Division of Wildlife (DOW), the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Colorado State University are <br />continuing to conduct experimental nonnative fish management research studies in the Yampa River. <br /> <br />27 <br />