17 ‎(6)‎

• Board Meeting Date: 9/17/2008
• Description: WPFM Section - Chatfield Reallocation Study - Letters of Commitment
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Memo

STATE OF COLORADO
Colorado Water Conservation Board
Department of Natural Resources
1313 Sherman Street, Room 721
Denver, Colorado 80203
Phone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
www.cwcb.state.co.us
TO: Colorado Water Conservation Board Members
Bill Ritter, Jr.
Governor
FROM: Tom Browning, Chief
Harris D. Sherman
Watershed Protection & Flood Mitigation Section
DNR Executive Director
Jennifer L. Gimbel
DATE: September 8, 2008
CWCB Director
Dan McAuliffe
Agenda Item 17, September 16-17, 2008 Board Meeting
SUBJECT:
CWCB Deputy Director
Chatfield Reallocation Study – Letters of Commitment
Introduction
The Chatfield Reservoir Reallocation Study (Study) sponsors are investigati ng the feasibility of
converting flood control storage space in the reservoir, owned by the U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers (Corps), into joint- use water supply storage space. The CWCB is the non-federal
sponsor of this Study and is supported by particip ating water users and a large coalition of Study
interests. The maximum stor age volume sought for reallo cation is 20,600 acre-feet.
Background
An original consortium of 16 water users entere d into “Letters of Commitment” with the CWCB
for the potential reallocation of storage space in the reservoir. The Board, at its January 2005
meeting, approved those Letters of Commitment that established an equitable distribution for the
proposed 20,600 acre-foot storage space based on an agreement developed and endorsed by the
water users.
For reasons not fully known by current Staff, a Letter of Commitment was never executed
between the CWCB and Colorado State Parks, one of the water users par ticipating in the Study
and included in the previously approved stor age distribution. Staff now seeks to remedy the
situation by asking the Board to approve a Letter of Commitment with Colorado State Parks.
Furthermore, Mt. Carbon Metropo litan District (Mt. Carbon) wa s not part of the original
distribution of storage space in 2005 and has be en seeking the opportunity to obtain storage
space since that time. That opportunity became available when, at its May 2008 meeting, the
Board approved the transfer of 2,000 acre-feet of storage space from Pa rker Water & Sanitation
District to several other water users and to Mt. Carbon. As such, Staff is now asking the Board to
approve a Letter of Commitment with Mt. Carbon.
Staff Recommendation
Staff recommends that the Board approve the att ached Letters of Commitment for the Chatfield
Reservoir Reallocation Study, and authorize the CWCB Director to si gn said Letters of
Commitment.
Water Supply Protection • Flood Protection • Stream & La ke Protection • Water Supply Planning & Finance
Water Conservation & Drought Planning • In trastate Water Management & Development