BOARD02487

• Board Meeting Date: 9/7/1995
• Description: Agenda or Table of Contents, Minutes, Memos
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Meeting

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Colorado Water Conservation Board
Department of Natural Resources

721 State Centennial Building
1313 Sherman Street
Denver, Colorado 80203
Phone [phone]
FAX [phone]

STATE OF COLORADO

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Roy Romer
Governor

James S. Lochhead
Executive Director, DNR

MEMORANDUM

DariesC.Ue, P.E.
Director, CWCB

TO:

Colorado Water Conservation Board Members

Chuck Lile ~

FROM:

DATE:

September 5, 1995

SUBJECT:

Agenda Item 3(a) Director's Report
September 7-8, 1995 Board Meeting

We have reviewed the principal activities and issues that have occurred since our last meeting and
those items of critical interest to be discussed and acted upon at this meeting. They are:

Arkansas River:

Perhaps the most pressing and certainly the most significant issues facing Colorado's ability to
protect its compacted apportionment is the Kansas vs. Colorado U.S. Supreme Court decision.
At this Board meeting we will be hearing recommendations from the Arkansas River
Coordinating Committee concerning the State Engineer's Rules and Regulations for ground water
pwnping in the Arkansas River, advice as to the repaying of Kansas for past depletions, and
solutions to prevent further violations of the Arkansas River Compact. The Board will need to
carefully evaluate options and provide policy direction to aid in protecting existing water use in
the basin and to prevent further impacts to Kansas.

The Special Master has indicated that his first goal is to ensure that future compact violations are
prevented and that the issue of post compact groundwater depletions (debt/repayment) will be
addressed later. He has set hearings in November to review what actions the State Engineer has
taken towards rules and regulations and enforcement. The State of Kansas is pushing very hard
for an injunction to limit post compact well pumping to 15,000 acre feet. Consequently it is
imperative that Colorado act in a responsible fashion to prevent further compact violations. If
we are not able to satisfy the Special Master we will be faced with a federal water master.