BOARD02463

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

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measures contained in the Biological Opinions issued in December 2000 by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service and in November 2004 by NOAA Fisheries;
. $35.0 million for the California-Federal Bay-Delta Program (CALFED) account in California and
$52.2 million for the Central Valley Project Restoration Fund; and,
. $17.9 million for the Lower Colorado River Operations Program to continue river operations, water
service contracting and repayment, decree accounting, oversight of hydropower activities, and
implementation ofthe Multi-Species Conservation Program.

Senator Allard Secures Agreement On Bypass Flows: U.S. Senator Wayne Allard has released a letter
Tuesday that contains a pledge from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to recognize and uphold the
interests water-rights owners on or adjacent to National Forest system lands and indicates that a bypass
flow is not required by applicants in order to renew their permits.

The "Allard Letter" states that recent agreements between the state of Colorado and the U.S. Forest
Service, as well as the state's instream flow law and Task Force findings, are sufficient to meet Forest
Service environmental needs, meaning that bypass flows no longer exist in Colorado.

It also endorses elements ofa 1997 Federal Water Rights Task Force report, which found that Congress
had not delegated to the U.S. Forest Service any authority to require fanners and cities to bypass part of
their existing water supply as a condition of the renewal of federal land use permits.

A copy of the letter is attached.

Domenici Reintroduces Tamarisk Control Bill: U.S. Senator Pete Domenici has reintroduced his
legislation to eradicate water-depleting Tamarisk and other nonnative species. The Salt Cedar and Russian
Olive Control Demonstration Act authorizes a research and demonstration program to accelerate the
eradication of the non-native species thriving along rivers. The Domenici legislation was amended to
incorporate aspects of a similar bill introduced by former Senator Ben Nighthorse Campbell. It passed the
Senate last year but did not clear the House of Representatives before the end of the 108th Congress.

The bill directs the Secretary of the Interior, working with other federal agencies, to complete an
assessment of the extent of salt cedar and Russian olive infestation in the western United States, undertake
a minimum of five eradication demonstration projects and analyze possible beneficial uses of the resulting
bio-mass. .

The bill authorizes $20 million in FY2006, and $15 million each fiscal year thereafter. Each
demonstration project can utilize up to $7 million in federal funding and would be subject to a non-federal
cost share match. The bill does not specifY demonstration project locations, but does encourage them to be
paired with existing programs where possible.

Estimates show that one mature salt cedar tree can consume as much as 200 gallons of water per day, At
that rate, a single acre of salt cedar could consume as much as seven acre-feet of water annually. In
addition, salt cedars increase fire potential and flood frequency, as well as salinity along the river.

Federal Funding Opportunities Study: We recently contracted with CDM for the development of a
Federal Funding Opportunities Study that will help to identifY specific federal grants that are available to
support Board programs and projects. The study will focus on cataloging and characterizing the various
federal grant programs that are relevant to our mission and objectives. This will include an in-depth
assessment on the ability of existing funding programs to meet Colorado's identified funding needs. It is
expected that the study will allow staff to apply for and receive federal doIlars as a first step in
implementing SWSI recommendations, and exploring other funding opportunities that have not
previously been identified.

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