BOARD00584

• Board Meeting Date: 3/29/1999
• Description: ISF Section - Instream Flow Subcommittee Report
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Memo

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Colorado Water Conservation Board
Department of Natural Resources
1313 Sherman Street
Denver, Colorado 80203
Phone, [phone]
FAX, (3031866-4474

STATE OF COLOMDO

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Bill Owens
Governor

MEMORANDUM

GregE. Walcher
Executive Director, DNR
Peter H. Evans
Director, eWCB

TO:

Members, CWCB

FROM:

Dan Merriman
Greg Espegren

DATE:

March 22, 1999

SUBJECT:

Agenda Item IS, March 29-30, 1999, Board Meeting
Instream Flow Program - Instream Flow Subcommittee Report

Attached, please find a copy of the Board's "Instream Flow Subcommittee Summary Report". This
report was prepared to satisfY one of the objectives under Goal 3, "Environmental Conflict
Resolution", of the Board's Long Range Plan, Specifically, the Board's Program Evaluation
objective was to "establish an Instream Flow Advisory Committee by July 1995 with appropriate
representatives from water development, environmental, and wildlife interests, and with local, state
and federal agencies for the purpose of identifYing significant public concerns and to provide
strategies for resolving any identified concems to the CWCB by January 1997."

The report summarizes the issues identified during the Instream Flow Subcommittee process and it
concludes "the Board's general policy of considering issues on a case-by-case basis is probably the
best strategy for dealing with the issues raised by the Subcommittee participants also. A case-by-case
strategy allows the Board to remain responsive to public concerns and develop unique solutions to
complex water-related issues as those issues mature within specific topical and/or geographical
areas."

A draft of the "Instream Flow Subcommittee Summary Report" was distributed to the Board at its
November 1998 meeting. At that time, the Board authorized staffto release the draft report to the
public for comments, Notice of the release (attached) was mailed to everyone on the Board's
Instream Flow Subcommittee mailing list. The report was also posted on the Board's Internet site.

Staff presented its summary of the Subcommittee process and the recommendations contained in the
report at the Board's January 1999 meeting, The Board also provided an opportunity for oral
comments from members of the public, The Board heard from Steve Glazer (High Country Citizens
Alliance), Melinda Kassin and David Nickum (Trout Unlimited), who each expressed a general
. dissatisfaction with the Subcommittee process and the resulting report.