BOARD02168

• Board Meeting Date: 5/11/1998
• Description: Colorado River Basin Issues - Endangered Species Issues - Status and Outlook for Recovery Program Funding Legislation
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Memo

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OFFICE OF THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

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STATE OF COLORADO

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Department of Natural Resources
1313 Sherman Street, Room 718
Denver, Colorado 80203
Phone: [phone]
TDO: (3031 866-3543
FAX: [phone]

DEPARTMENT OF
NATURAL
RESOURCES

TO:
FROM:
DATE:
RE:

Peter Evans
Dan McAuliffe
May 1, 1998
Status and Outlook for Recovery Program Funding Legislation

Roy Romer
Governor

James S. Lochhead
Executive Director

Ronald W. Cattany
Deputy Director

Sen, Allard and Rep, McInnis have introduced legislation to authorize the U,S. Bureau
of Reclamation to spend $46 million on capital projects in the Upper Colorado River
Basin designed to recover the four federal endangered fish species,

The Senate bill S, 1749 has been referred to the Committee on Environment and Public
Works, The House bill H.R. 3669 has been referred to the Resources Committee,

No hearings have been scheduled and the states may not request a hearing until the
outcome of an on-going biological opinion relating to the program's effectiveness in the
IS-mile reach of the Colorado River (between the Grand Valley and the Gunnison
River) has been ascertained. The states, water users, environmentalists and federal
officials are specifically trying to resolve three issues:

· the timing of water deliveries for fish recovery purposes (summer and winter);
· the amount of water which the Service will allow to be depleted before additional
review is needed (some amount between 40,000 and 120,000-acre feet);
· and when the [mal adjudication of the instream flow decrees (for base and recovery
flows) will occur,

In the meantime, the program's participants are helping to gather cosponsors. Sen,
Bennett from Utah has already been listed as a cosponsor. We expect other members of
Congress to be added in the near future,

Board of Land Commissioners. Division of Minerals 8. Geology/Geological Survey
Oil & Gas Conservation Commission. Colorado Slate Parks. Soil Conservation Board
Water Conservation Board. Division of Water Resources. Division of Wildlife