BOARD00806

• Board Meeting Date: 5/19/2003
• Description: WSP Section - SWSI Implementation Update
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Memo

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STATE OF COLORADO

Colorado Water Conservation Board

Department of Natural Resources
1313 Sherman Street, Room 721
Denver I Colorado 80203
Phone: [phone]
FAX: [phone]
www.cwcb.state.co.us

MEMORANDUM

Bill Owens
Governor

To:

Colorado Water Conservation Board

GregE. Walcher
Executive Director

From:

Rod Kuharich, Director
Rick Brown, Project Manager, Interstate Stream Protection

Rod Kuharich
CWCB Director

Dan MrAoliffe
Deputy Director

Date:

May 19,2003

Subject:

Agenda Item 9, May 19-20, 2003 Board Meeting,
Statewide Water Supply Initiative (SWSI) Implementation Update

Over the last two months CWCB staff and the Board's Steering Committee worked very hard on the
completion of a detailed scope of work for the SWSI. The scope of work has followed the outline provided at
the last Board meeting. We faced two significant challenges as we worked through the scope.

The first challenge was to ensure a detailed and thorough public involvement program and to still have
enough financial resources to complete the technical work. This issue was addressed in part by changing the
number of purely public meetings (from three to two), and adding more time for public input at the Basin
Roundtable meetings (four). We think this a good change because the Basin Roundtable meetings will be
where the more detailed discussions take place. In this setting the public will be able to better understand the
project approach, and will be able to provide more immediate feedback.

The second challenge involved the development of Task 11. Task 11 was originally entitled "Evaluate
Alternatives at Statewide Level". This Task has been a challenge because we are sensitive to the need to have
SWSI continue to be a "bottom up process", and that we continue to work closely with local planning entities.
This is somewhat contrasted with the desire to make sure that SWSI identifies and helps resolve water supply
and demand issues, and the fact that no single local entiIy or group of entiIy is "vested" to address issues from
a statewide perspective. The CWCB is the appropriate entity to address issue from a statewide perspective
and SWSI will emphasize consensus as we grapple with issues from a statewide perspective. Task 11 has
been rewritten with these issues in mind and was re-titled "Overview and Analysis of Water Supply Options
and Demands and the Statewide Level". We believe that Task 11 reflects the proper balance and role of the
CWCB in our efforts to ensure that Colorado will have adequate water supplies for our citizens and the
environment.

At the time of the writing of this memo, CWCB staff and the Steering Committee are very close to reaching
consensus on the scope of work. Consistent with the direction provided at the March Board meeting, once
this occurs and funds become available, we will execute a contract with CDM. This should occur by mid to
late May.

Flood Protection. Water Supply Planning and Finance. Stream and Lake Protection
Water Supply Protection. Conservation and Drought Planning