BOARD02463

• Board Meeting Date: 3/22/2005
• Description: CWCB Director's Report
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Memo

Organized by the Metro Mayors Caucus, the agreement outlines broad principles of water conservation,
such as utilizing best management practices and recognizing the environmental and economic impacts of
new water projects on mountain communities. More than anything, local officials said, the agreement is a
significant show of good faith that Denver area cities are serious about saving scarce Western water.

Modeled after the Mile High Compact, an agreement that addresses unchecked growth in the Denver area,
the water pact had been in the works for about eight months.

A copy of the agreement is attached.

Dam Safety Meetings: The State Engineers office has held Dam Safety Rules and Project Financing
Workshops in March to discuss the proposed rules that were discussed at our last Board meeting in Grand
Junction and in Durango. Copies of the proposed rules can be reviewed online at
http://water.state.co.us/damsafetv/ damsafetvrules proposed. pdf.

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New Appropriations Public Outreach Efforts: Staff has met with water users, water districts and
communities to discuss the ISF Program and appropriated or proposed instream flow filings. Staff has
several more meetings scheduled in the future to these discussions and outreach efforts. Below is a
summary of our recent activities:

. October 7, 2004 - we initiated a meeting to bring together people in the upper San Miguel River
basin. This meeting allowed the Stream and Lake Protection Section to inform the public about
our activities and provided a forum to receive and respond to questions regarding existing and
future Instream Flow water filings in the upper San Miguel River basin.
. February 16,2005 - we held our annual Instream Flow Workshop at the DOW's Hunter .
Education Building in Denver. This provided Staff the opportunity to educate the public on the
new instream flow appropriations process and to receive/respond to questions regarding the
program and receive recommendations for streams and lakes to be considered for inclusion into
the ISF Program.
. February 22 - we met with council for the Town of Minturn to begin discussions for their request
of an enlargement to the instream flow on the Eagle River (5-78CW3796).
. March 3 - we met with water users in Hotchkiss to discuss concerns regarding proposed instream
flow water rights in the North Fork Gunnison basin.
. March 16 - we have scheduled a follow-up meeting in Hotchkiss to continue the dialogue with the
North Fork Gunnison water users and other members of the public.
. March 18 - we have scheduled a meeting in Norwood with local water users and representatives
ofthe Southwestern Water Conservation District, the USFS and the BLM to discuss the proposed
instream flow appropriations on Horsefly and Cottonwood Creeks. We will also be discussing the
recommendations proposed by the USFS and the BLM in the Horsefly Creek basin that were
presented at the Workshop which may be presented to the Board in January 2006.
· March 21 - we will be attending a guided tour of the Eagle River through Minturn. The Town of
Minturn is seeking an enlargement of the existing instream flow water right and this tour provides
an opportunity for Board Members, Staff and members of the public to view the river restoration
efforts undertaken by the Town.
· April 21 - we will be attending a guided tour of Yellow Jacket Canyon Creek near Cortez. This
stream flows through the Canyons of the Ancients National Monument and the BLM is seeking an
instream flow water right on this stream to protect its natural environment.

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