February 21, 2007 Minutes-Board Meeting
The regular monthly meeting of the Lower Arkansas Valley Water Conservancy District Board of Directors was held on Wednesday, February 21, 2007 at 10:00 AM, at 801 Swink Avenue, Rocky Ford, CO 81067.
Chairman Singletary announced a quorum was present with an excused absence being given to Directors Moore, Esquibel, and Mauch.
DIRECTORS PRESENT:
John Singletary-Chairman
Wayne Whittaker-Treasurer
Loretta Kennedy
Lynden Gill
EXCUSED DIRECTORS:
Pete Moore-Vice Chairman
Melissa Esquibel-Secretary
Leroy Mauch
DISTRICT STAFF:
Jay Winner-General Manager
Bart Mendenhall-Attorney
Bill Hancock-Conservation Program Manager
Kim Chavez-Financial Coordinator
Rachel Bogner-Administrative Assistant
MOTION TO ENTER INTO WATER ACTIVITY ENTERPRISE:
Director Gill moved that the Board convene into the Water Activity Enterprise, seconded by Director Kennedy. Motion unanimously carried.
At the conclusion of the Water Activity Enterprise meeting Director Whittaker moved to reconvene the District Meeting at 10:09 A.M., seconded by Director Gill. Motion unanimously carried.
INTRODUCTION OF VISITORS:
Chairman Singletary welcomed each of the visitors to the meeting, asked them to introduce themselves and identify the organization which they represent.
VISITORS PRESENT:
Del Nimmo, Colorado State University (CSU) – Pueblo/Biology; Ken Weber; Barbara Bolinger, La Junta Tribune Democrat; Virgil Cochran, SE Land and Environment; Cardon Berry, Eads Town Council; Fred Heckman, Fort Lyon Farmer; Chris Woodka, Pueblo Chieftain; Alan Ward, Pueblo Board of Water Works; Mary Miller, USDA-NRCS; Tom Simpson, Aurora Water; Rich Kienitz, Aurora Water; Pat Edelman, USGS; and Brenda Fillmore, Arkansas Ground Water Users Association (AGUA).
APPROVAL OF MINUTES:
-
January 17, 2007 Monthly Board Meeting Minutes- Chairman Singletary asked if the Board members had reviewed the minutes for the January 17, 2007 Board Meeting, and whether there were any corrections or additions. Director Kennedy moved to approve the January 17, 2007 minutes, seconded by Director Gill. Motion unanimously carried.
Director Whittaker reported that the financial report for the month of January was included in the Board’s Monthly Meeting Packet and that a correction had been made to the current report which was handed out to the Board Members. He reported January total revenues of $16,250.95 and total expenditures of $48,899.55. Director Whittaker moved to accept the January Financial Statement, seconded by Director Gill and carried unanimously.
GM REPORT:
General Manager Winner introduced Carla Quezada as the District Office’s temporary employee to help maintain the District office while Rachel Bogner and Kim Chavez were out of the office for Rachel’s pregnancy getting closer to the due date and Kim’s daughter’s pregnancy getting closer to her due date shortly after.
General Manager Winner introduced Cardon Berry of Ead’s City Council to discuss the possibility of Kiowa County’s inclusion within the District.
PRESENTATIONS:
Cardon Berry – Cardon Berry handed out Kiowa’s Vision Statement to the Board Members. He stated that Kiowa would like to work on a guarantee to have water in Kiowa’s Lakes. Mr. Berry brought to attention that it would be beneficial for Kiowa County to become a member of the Lower District. He read the Kiowa County Vision Statement, it is as follows:
The Great Plains and Adobe Creek Reservoirs are to be permanent, stabilizing entities in Southeast Colorado. They can expect to be and do the following:
-
Stable ecosystems that provides water for fish, birds, and other wildlife (which is important in and of itself) that will in turn provide local economically beneficial opportunities for fishing, hunting, and tourism;
-
Permanent pools and canals filled with water from upstream overflow (to prevent downstream flooding,) that provide efficient local irrigation in times of drought and thereby stabilizing land values as well as dependable crop production; and
-
Dependable storage to deal with water allocations to Kansas, by bringing water out of the Arkansas Valley before it is apportioned. That water can also be used then to send water allocations to Kansas when normal reserves are too low to do so; and
-
Devices or tools to help Southeast Colorado keep and manage its water and thereby, its water rights; from a stable, controlled position to lease or not to lease, without being in a position of being forced to sell those rights.
Cardon Berry stated that Kiowa County does not wish to be a full member of the District, but an associate member so they do not have to pay back taxes and less of the current dues that would be owed for each year. This would help being a member for Kiowa County to get things done.
After a question and answer session, the Board decided to keep the issue on the table to work with Kiowa County and having them become a member of the Lower District.
General Manager Winner offered to set up a work session between the District and Kiowa County in March before the next board meeting to discuss the matter more.
General Manager Winner introduced Pat Edelman of USGS.
Pat Edelman: Pat Edelman gave a general update about water in the basin.
Mr. Edelman presented a model that showed snow water equivalence and SNOTEL Basin Snow pack summary for February 21, 2007.
He then presented the Upper Arkansas Model for 2003-2007 with snow water equivalence. He stated that things are not looking too remarkable this year at this time.
Mr. Edelman presented selected stream flow compared to historical stream flow for February 19th.
Next he presented information on Water Quality, giving current salinity concentrations (February 7-14, 2007) vs. mean monthly concentrations for February. He stated that there have been improvements seen in the last 10-15 years.
Lastly, Mr. Edelman presented Phase I: Retrospective Analysis Comprehensive Water-Quality Investigation, Arkansas River Basin, CO. The objectives of Phase I are:
-
Identify existing data and studies that could be integrated to help provide a basin-wide understanding of water quality conditions,
-
Identify information gaps,
-
Through collaboration with cooperators, develop a basin-wide strategy to address various water quality issues.
The Approaches for Phase I are:
-
Review pertinent water quality studies;
-
Compile pertinent water quality, hydrologic and hydrogeologic data;
-
Assess methodologies used by various entities to collect and interpret these data;
-
Review a subset of these data to assess completeness and reasonableness in context with overall water-quality goals;
-
Identify and prioritize the water-quality issues, questions, and objectives to be addressed as part of the comprehensive water quality study;
-
Develop scope of work to conduct comprehensive water-quality investigation
After a brief Question and Answer session, General Manager Winner introduced the next presenter as Fred Heckman, a farmer from near Mc Clave, CO.
Fred Heckman: Fred Heckman stated that had attended an interview with HDR and had attended the Farm Ranch Water Symposium and Trade Show were he listened to the panel discuss the Land/Fallowing Program.
Mr. Heckman wanted to express his concerns with the program. He wanted to make sure that the Fort Lyon Canal was being considered in the program. He stated that the canal company is mainly concerned with price.
Mr. Heckman stated that he was interested in multiple use water in Colorado instead of categorizing every use of water.
Mr. Heckman presented the board with an excel spreadsheet with information on all canals with the percentage of amount of water available. He stated the canal company wants to know about lease years of 3 to 10 years being locked in. He stated that the company does not want the years to be locked. The canal company would like an every year lease, not a 3 out of 10 year lease. He stated that the farmers need to be more involved before the engineers are brought into the program discussions.
After a brief Question and Answer session, Chairman Singletary thanked Mr. Heckman for his valuable input.
General Manager Winner introduced Del Nimmo of Colorado State University (CSU) – Pueblo/Biology.
Del Nimmo: Del Nimmo gave an updated report.
Mr. Nimmo stated that the equipment that was helped funded by the District was in the engineering building and will be operational soon. He presented a draft of project plan called Water Quality Assessment Project Plan (QAPP). He requested that the Board review the draft and give him feedback.
Mr. Nimmo stated that work is still taking place with the USGS about the Ecoli subproject. Once completed, it will be inserted into the draft that he had presented to the Board.
GM REPORT:
General Manager Winner pointed out tab four in the board packet concerning Lake County. He stated that Lake County had requested the District complete a survey concerning the inclusion of Lake County with the Lower District.
General Manager Winner brought the Fountain Creek Vision Task Force information in the packet. He stated the program was to the point of putting it into action but they are need of a facilitator. They need $3,500 to put toward the group funding and getting the vision statement finished.
Director Kennedy stated the group needs this implemented and a facilitator to keep things moving. She stated that the $150,000 granted from the previous board meeting was to go toward the master plan. This $35,000 would be for the facilitator.
Director Kennedy moved that the District provide towards $3,500 funding for a facilitator for the Fountain Creek Vision Force. Director Whittaker seconded the motion. Motion carried unanimously.
General Manager Winner pointed out information about an MOU between LAVWCD and Colorado Springs Utilities in the board packet for the Directors to review. He stated that Colorado Springs City Council approved the MOU but must have job descriptions.
General Manager Winner stated that the Arkansas River Basin Water Forum would be held in Rocky Ford on April 12-13, 2007 at the Gobin Building and the Colorado and Kansas Engineers would be participating.
PRESIDENT’S REPORT:
Chairman Singletary stated that Bill 1132 had passed out of the Senate with a 6/1 vote.
He stated that he is staying in daily contact with the Legislature.
Chairman Singletary stated he was glad Colorado Springs is working on Fountain Creek Issues.
Chairman Singletary stated that members of the Ditch Companies and Lower District Staff are going to California to look at water leasing and fallowing of agriculture in California. He thanked Bill Hancock and District Staff for work putting this trip together. He stated that the group would be leaving Monday, February 26, 2007.
Chairman Singletary stated that Sal Pace’s enlargement bill that had been presented to the District at the January meeting needs to be looked at before the March Board Meeting.
General Manager Winner said that there were two hundred participants at the Farm Ranch Water Symposium and Trade Show. Chairman Singletary thanked the District Staff for their work with the Symposium.
COMMITTEE REPORTS:
Personnel: Director Kennedy thanked staff again for the work they had done on the Symposium. She showed the coloring book that the District had put together with the help of Dawn DiPrince. Kim Chavez stated that Dawn DiPrince had put together the book and that there is $1,000 in the budget to print them. This funding will allow for 750 copies to be made. Kim Chavez suggested having the Pueblo Chieftain help sponsor getting the book printed.
Liaison: Director Kennedy had nothing to report.
LEGAL REPORT:
Attorney Bart Mendenhall stated that he thought that the Farm Ranch Water Symposium and Trade Show went well and that the feedback from the event has been good.
Attorney Mendenhall said that there is still some cleaning up taking place on the conservation easements that had been closed at the end of they year.
Attorney Mendenhall stated that the District has been working on due diligence portions of the Larkspur project. He presented a summary of issues to the Board Members.
Attorney Mendenhall stated that Attorney Peter Nichols had recommended the District file an opposition in Cases 06CW118 and 06CW120. Director Kennedy moved the Board file an opposition in 06CW118 and 06CW120, seconded by Director Gill. The motion carried unanimously.
Attorney Mendenhall requested a motion to allow him to contact HDR to have them look into the issues of due diligence with the Larkspur. Director Whittaker abstained from the motion and vote on this issue due to his association with Larkspur. Director Gill moved to allow Attorney Mendenhall to contact HDR, seconded by Director Kennedy. Motion carried unanimously.
General Manager Winner stated that Steve Holdren had been hired as the Districts lobbyist.
Kim Chavez stated that there would be a drip irrigation workshop on February 22, 2007 in La Junta at Otero Junior College.
PUBLIC COMMENT:
There were no public comments.
ADJOURNED:
Chairman Singletary asked if there were any other matters to come before the Board. Hearing none, motion was made by Director Gill, seconded by Director Whittaker to adjourn the meeting. Motion unanimously carried. Meeting was adjourned at 11:38 A.M.