BOARD02567

• Board Meeting Date: 1/24/2001
• Description: CWCB Director's Report
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Memo

Conservation Fund; W. Henson Moore, President and CEO, American Forest and Paper Association; Mark
Rubin, American Petroleum Institute; Jason Campbell, Public Lands Council; Lesley Kane, Trust for Public
Land; Malcolm Wallop, Frontiers of Freedom; and Hal Quinn, National Mining Association (from WSWC).

House Committee Changes: On Jan. 4, the U.S. House of Representatives selected new committee
chairmen. The chairmen of key committees with water resources responsibilities are: Agriculture - Rep. Larry
Combest (R-TX); Appropriations - C.W. Bill Young (R-FL); Budget - Jim Nussle (R-IA); Commerce - W.J.
"Billy" Tauzin (R-LA); Resources - Jim Hansen (R-UT); Science - Sherwood Boehlert (R-NY); Transportation-
Don Young (R-AK); and Ways and Means - Bill Thomas (R-CA) (from WSWC).

Climate Change: With the support of the U.S. Geological Survey, the Pacific Institute has released a
report, The Potential Consequences of Climate Variability and Change for the Water Resources of the United
States, dated September 2000. It is a compilation of public and private scientific studies evaluating the
implications of present climate variability and future climate change on national water resources. It concludes
that climate models project possible global warming of 3-6 degrees Celsius by the end of this century, which
could very well have serious implications. Some possible impacts might include: significant changes in snowfall
and the magnitude and timing of runoff in the Sierra Nevada and Rocky Mountains and the Pacific Northwest;
an increased risk of serious and widespread flooding and drought; rising sea levels threatening coastal lands,
aquifers and water supplies, including the central California coast; and other changes such as increasing water
temperatures in lakes and streams, reduced water clarity, melting permafrost, and threatened critical wetlands
and fish and wildlife habitat. The report is available online at www.oacinst.org/naw.htmI. (From the WSW C.)

New Wyoming Engineer: Patrick T. Tyrrell has been appointed by Governor Jim Geringer as the
Wyoming State Engineer. Tyrrell is a Wyoming native and will assume his new duties after completing work in
his current position as engineering manager at the States West Water Resources Corporation in Cheyenne.

Statewide Issues

Water Quality/Water Quantity Workshop: As noted in November, we are working with other agencies
to organize ajoint workshop to discuss water quality/water quantity issues. The workshop is now scheduled for
Feb. l4 from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Renaissance Hotel near Stapleton. Mike Preston will serve as the
workshop facilitator. The participating agencies are:

Water Conservation Board
Water Quality Control Commission
Agriculture Commission
Wildlife Commission
Water Resources and Power Development Authority Board
Great Outdoors Colorado Board
Parks Board
Ground Water Commission

The Governor's Office has scheduled a reception in conjunction with the multiple agency joint workshop
for February 13, from 4:30 to 6:00 p.m. Governor Owens will be at the reception.

Prior to the workshop, each of the five agencies will prepare an informational background paper and will
be circulated to the members of the other agencies. Each paper would summarize the agency's authorities and
responsibilities. In addition, each paper would briefly identify current challenges and issues faced by the
agency. We will mail the papers and other information to Board prior to the meeting.

As we reported at the last Board meeting, the principal goals of the workshop is: (l) to provide a better
understanding among Board and Commission members and staff ofthe principal roles and responsibilities of
the respective agencies; and (2) to improve opportunities for coordination and cooperation among the agencies.

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