BOARD02252

• Board Meeting Date: 5/16/2006
• Description: Legislative Update - Review of Important Water Legislation
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Memo

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STATE OF COLORADO

Colorado Water Conservation Board

Department of Natural Resources
1313 Shennan Street, Room rn
!lenver, Colorado I!Il'2lB
Phone: [phone]
fAX: (3m) 866-4474
www.cwcb.state.oo.use

MEMORANDUM

Bill Owens
Governor

To:

Colorado Water Conservation Board

Rod Kuharich, Director ijif/fiK
Rick Brown, Acting Deputy Directo.0lV

Russell George
Executive Director

From:

Rod Kuharich
CWCB Director

Date:

May 9, 2006

Rick Brown
Acting Deputy Dire<lor

Subject:

Agenda Item 22, May 16-17 Board Meeting,
Legislative Update- Review of Important Legislation

This agenda item summarizes some ofthe key water legislation that affects the CWCB. At the time
of the writing of this memorandum the legislative process is still underway. Therefore, additional
legislative changes may occur and will be highlighted at the Board meeting. Since additional bill
changes are expected copies of the actual legislation are not included at this time. The Board will be
provided with "final copies" of the legislation at the Board meeting.

This memorandum will highlight the major elements of the relevant legislation. It is emphasized
that this memorandum only summarizes select water legislation which is viewed as most relevant to
the Board.

H.B. 1124 - Concerning the adjudication of a rotational crop management contract. - Allows a
water judge to approve a rotational crop management contract, pursuant to which an owner of
irrigation water rights implements a change to a new use by forgoing irrigation of a portion of the
lands historically irrigated and rotates the lands that will not be irrigated on an annual basis as long
as there is no injurious effect to other water rights. Applies the same approval criteria to rotational
crop management contracts that are applied to changes of water rights and plans for augmentation,
including plans of exchange.

H.B. 1311 - Concerning the species conservation trust fund, and, in connection therewith,
approving the species conservation eligibility list and recapitalizing the species conservation
trust fund. - This bill adds and additional $12.8 million dollars to Species Conservation Trust fund.
The bill allocates a portion of the money as follows: 1) $5 million for expenditures associated with
the Platte River Recovery Program; 2) $1.88 million for expenditures associated with the San Juan
and Upper Colorado Endangered Fish Recovery Programs; and, 3) $400,000 for expenditures
associated with the sagebrush associated species, the shortgrass prairie-dependent species and the
South Platte and Arkansas River aquatic species.

Flood Protection. Water Supply Planning and Finance. Stream and Lake Protection
Water Supply Proleclion. Conservation and Drought PlaMing