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<br />. <br /> <br />.. <br /> <br />" <br /> <br />Agenda Item 31,a <br />October 20, 1994 <br />Page 2 <br /> <br />confluence with the Arkansas River. A second phase using modeling and test releases will be <br />undertaken, if existing data was inadequate to provide estimates of suitable precision, or if it is <br />necessary and feasible to further refme issues such as the ultimate fate of any "lost" water. <br /> <br />While many parties could be impacted by the use of the study results and may want to be kept <br />informed of how the study is conducted, only the PRWCD and the State (SEO and CWCB) have <br />sufficient interest to become cooperators and provide fmancial assistance to the study. <br /> <br />At the September 1994 meeting the Board endorsed the concept of State fmancial participation in <br />the study. Although not dlscussed, staff has asswned that the Board will also want to participate in <br />the technical aspects of the study, and staff is prepared to continue doing that. Staff was asked to <br />investigate whether the Board should make a gnmt to the PRWCD for this purpose or become a <br />direct cooperator with the USGS on the study. Pl1ase I of the study is already in progress pursuant <br />to an annual funding agreement between the USGS and the PRWCD whereby PRWCD has agreed <br />to pay 50% of the total cost in each year of phase I of the study, Significant. work will be <br />accomplished between now and July 1995, the earliest the CWCB would be authorized to enter into <br />a formal agreement with the USGS. The PRWCD is aware of the risk that the General Assembly <br />might not authorize the CWCB to participate in the study, but is willing to obligate its own funds <br />for the study to continue until the General AssemblY makes its determination, After further discusion <br />with the USGS, staff concludes that to avoid lII1Aecessary delay the Board should not attempt to <br />become a formal financial cooperator with the USGS on phase I. Should phase 2 of the study be <br />determined to be desirable, the Board can and should become a direct cooperator with the USGS in <br />that phase of the study, USGS and PRWCD will allow the CWCB to have equivalent access to <br />either phase of the study, regardless of the method by which we fmancially participate, This access <br />can be guaranteed in the funding agreement between the CWCB and the PRWCD next summer. <br /> <br />Funding ReQuest: <br /> <br />The District has asked the Board for $50,000 as the Board's fmancial contribution for both phases <br />of the study. The fust $25,000 of this. would be distributed to the PRWCD as a non-reimbursable <br />payment equal to 49% of the non-federal cost of phase I the study. The District would pay another <br />$25,900 from its own resources, and USGS will fund the remaining 50% of the $101,800 needed <br />for phase I. The second $25,000 requested by the District should be authorized as part of the 1995 <br />Construction Fund bill, but would only be used for phase 2 of the study if that becomes necessary <br />and if the Board concurs at a future date that pbase 2 meets the Board's criteria for continued <br />financial participation, Board staff recommends that an additional $10,000, to be used for <br />contingencies and other study related costs, be authorized in the 1995 bill, for a total authorization <br />of $60,000, Given the uncertain scope of phase 2 and the ability through matching funds to leverage <br />the Board's contributions, the additional $10,000 authorization could be essential to completing a <br />useful study, <br />