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<br />" <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />" <br /> <br />Statewide <br /> <br />Tamarisk Control Update: The Tamarisk Coalition reported that federal tamarisk control legislation, <br />HR-2770 passed the House on May 3. Sen. Domenici, sponsor of a similar bill. S-I77, is expected to <br />adopt the text of the House bill and seek expedited action in the Senate, thus avoiding the need for a <br />conference committee. This legislation authorizes the Secretary of Interior to assess the level of <br />infestation, water savings potentials, and a variety of demonstration projects. The CWCB has instructed <br />the Tamarisk Coalition to begin with Phase 2 of our inventory project focusing on the Platte and <br />remaining areas of the Colorado Basin, utilizing an additional $50,000 of severance tax funds over the <br />next 14 months. A local watershed group, Tackling Tamarisk on the Purgatoire ["TIP"] recently was <br />awarded a $50,000 project grant from the USDA-NRCS. The TIP group utilized the recently completed <br />Arkansas Basin inventory data to support their application. <br /> <br />Colorado Watershed Protection Fund Update (CWPF): The CWCB received only three applications <br />(I project grant and two planning grants) by the May 1,2006 deadline. We will send copies of these <br />applications to the WQCD and Colorado Watershed Assembly (CW A) for review and evaluation. We do <br />not have a number for the 2005 tax year total donations at this time, but expect that the Fund will receive <br />the traditional annual revenue of approximately $90,000. The Colorado Department of Revenue <br />generally posts the revenue under the tax checkoff funds in early July. <br /> <br />Water Quallty-Water Quantity Coordination Update: Water Quality-Water Quantity <br />Coordination Meeting. The meeting that was scheduled for April 6 was rescheduled for May 9, 2006. <br />The draft agenda (as of this writing) is as follows: <br />. Environmental agriculture - issues related to discharge of processed water from Confined <br />Animal Feeding Operation <br />. Water quality standards for effluent dependant waters <br />. Section 303( d) list update <br />. Legislative Update <br />. Agency updates <br />. Scheduling of next meeting <br /> <br />Senate Bill 37 Amended In the House: Senate Bill 37. which amends the statute dealing with <br />Recreational In Channel Diversions ("RICDs"), was amended in the House, and passed on May 1st. The <br />Senate concurred with the amendments. A detailed description of the legislative changes is provided in <br />the memorandum related to 2006 legislation, which is on the CWCB's agenda. <br /> <br />House Bill 1311 Passes Both Houses: House Bill 1311, which refunds the Species Conservation Trust <br />Fund to the tune of 12.8 million and which authorizes expenditures associated with the Upper Colorado <br />River, San Juan River, and Platte River Recovery Programs, passed both houses on May 3. A detailed <br />description of this bill is provided in the memorandum related to 2006 legislation, which is on the <br />CWCB's agenda. <br /> <br />Colorado House Panel OKs Charter for In-State Water Compacts: On April 26, a House committee <br />on approved an unprecedented charter for compacts between users in different river basins, meant to bring <br />together groups ranging from fishennen to farmers. Battles for limited water supplies often pit fast- <br />growing cities that want water for drinking and lawn-watering against other groups that depend on <br />farming and recreation for their well-being. Water users and providers forged a plan that will force them <br />to discuss the best ways to keep water in Colorado and reduce the impact on our water basins, said Marc <br />Catlin, a member of the Inter Basin Compact Committee that drew up the proposed charter. <br /> <br />7 <br />