August 15, 2007 Minutes-Board Meeting
The regular monthly meeting of the Lower Arkansas Valley Water Conservancy District Board of Directors was held on Wednesday, August 15, 2007 at 10:00 AM, at 801 Swink Avenue, Rocky Ford, CO 81067.
Chairman Singletary announced a quorum was present with Director’s Mauch and Gill having been excused.
DIRECTORS PRESENT:
John Singletary-Chairman
Pete Moore-Vice Chairman
Wayne Whittaker-Treasurer
Melissa Esquibel-Secretary
DISTRICT STAFF PRESENT:
Jay Winner - General Manager
Bill Hancock - Conservation Program Manager
Bart Mendenhall - Attorney
Kim Chavez -Financial Officer
Carla Aragon-Quezada - Administrative Assistant
DIRECTORS EXCUSED:
Leroy Mauch
Lynden Gill
DIRECTOR TELECOMMUNICATIONS
Loretta Kennedy
MOTION TO ENTER INTO WATER ACTIVITY ENTERPRISE:
Director Whittaker moved that the Board convene into the Water Activity Enterprise, seconded by Director Moore. Motion unanimously carried.
At the conclusion of the Water Activity Enterprise meeting Director Whittaker moved to reconvene the District Meeting at 10:07 A.M., seconded by Director Moore. 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 CSU-Pueblo; Kevin Shanks, Mark Wilson and Merle Grimes, THK Associates; Virgil Cochran, SE Land and Environment; Tom Simpson, Aurora; Rick Kienitz, Aurora; George Oamek, Honey Creek Resources; Rob Zuber and Rebecca Mitchell, HDR; Alan Ward, Pueblo Board of Water Works; Chris Woodka, Pueblo Chieftain; Brenda Fillmore, Arkansas Ground Water Users Association (AGUA); Fred Heckman, Fort Lyon Farmer; Jim Valliant, CSU; Dan Henricks, High Line Canal; Dwight Garner, Sen. Salazar’s Office; Gerry Knapp, Aurora; GW Werdel, Larkspur; Pat Edelmann, USGS; John Merson, John Martin State Park.
APPROVAL OF MINUTES:
v July 18, 2007 Monthly Board Meeting Minutes- Chairman Singletary asked if the Board members had reviewed the minutes for the July 18, 2007 Board meeting and whether there were any corrections or additions. Director Esquibel moved to approve the minutes for July 18, 2007, seconded by Director Moore. Motion unanimously carried.
v June 26 and 27, 2007 Retreat Minutes-Chairman Singletary asked if the Board members had reviewed the minutes for the July 26th and 27th, 2007 Retreat Meeting, and whether there were any corrections or additions. Director Whittaker moved to approve the July 26th and 27th, 2007 Retreat minutes, seconded by Director Esquibel. Motion unanimously carried.
TREASURER’S REPORT:
Chairman Singletary reported that the financial report for the month of July was included in the Board’s Monthly Meeting Packet. Director Whittaker reported July total revenues $389,780.61 and total expenditures $184,612.79. Director Whittaker moved to accept the July Financial Statement, seconded by Director Esquibel. Motion unanimously carried.
GM REPORT:
General Manager Winner introduced THK Associates, Kevin Shanks, Mark Wilson and Merle Grimes, THK Associates is in process of negotiation for contract with Lower Arkansas Valley Water Conservancy District and Colorado Springs.
PRESENTATIONS:
Kevin Shanks THK Associate presented a power point on Master plan on Fountain. THK Associates out of Colorado and their support team have experience in developing projects such as the South Platte River Greenway, Clear Creek Greenway and the Kauai Coastal Path.
They will manage Fountain Creek projects under an agreement between Colorado Springs and the Lower Arkansas Valley Water Conservancy District.
Our Project Goals are:
Ø Common Vision
Ø Management
Ø Potential Partnerships & Funding Source
Ø Demonstration Project
Creating key to success
Watershed Health
Ø Impacts imperable surfaces
Ø Identify the issues
Ø Realistic planning designs & policy actions
Ø Water quality
Stable Riparian Wetland Ecosystem
Ø Erosion
Ø Revegetation/Restoration
Ø Flooding
Ø Identify Farmer/Ranch concerns
Ø Wildlife Diversity
Shanks stated, THK will coordinate its work with the Fountain Creek Vision Task Force and plans to build on the progress that group has made in the past year.
THK plans to use landscape architects, biologists, hydrologists, civil engineer, legal experts and Ken Conyers, Pueblo engineer, who retired from the CDOT (Colorado Department of Transportation).
Merle Grimes, a landscape architect, biologist and educator that have worked on waterway projects throughout the United States will be the heading the project.
Grimes stated, “These are dynamic systems that are always changing. They build up and wear down, and we have to work within those parameters. It will be a constant challenge.”
HDR
General Manager Winner introduced George Oamek of Honey Creek Resources, who is part of the team (HDR) that has completed the first phase of a study looking at a proposed rotational land fallowing, water lease management program for the Lower Arkansas Valley Water Conservancy District. “We looked at the difference between a one-to-one lease and working on a collaborative basis.”
Chairman Singletary responded, “It’s like the ditches going together could create a water OPEC.”
Oamek explained at several hypothetical situations in which individual ditch companies might contract with cities in their own leases, and took these to compare how deals could be improved with one or two other ditch companies joining without changing any details of the leases. With the four largest ditches in the proposed Super Ditch concept working together, profits from water leases could be 60 percent higher. We reached the conclusion that there is an advantage of working together due to the fact that some ditches, like the Ft Lyon have more water, but others like the High Line and Bessemer have more reliable supply.
HDR engineering’s part of $500,000 study by the Lower Arkansas Valley Water Conservancy District was released. This puts together elements of a plan the district has been discussing for the year.
This plan would create a “Super Ditch,” comprised of seven ditch systems with head gates between Pueblo and John Martin Reservoir; Bessemer, High Line, Oxford, Otero, Catlin, Holbrook and Fort Lyon made of shareholders that have water rights. Combined the ditches divert an average of 255,000 acre foot per year. The value of each system has to be based on the location of the ditch, the transit loss of exchanging flows into storage upstream and how much water historically has been used to crop.
Only the consumptive use of water from 25 percent of the land irrigated by participants in the “Super Ditch” would be used. Participation in the “Super Ditch” would be voluntary. By-law changes will be needed in five of the ditch companies.
Oamek explained anywhere from 14,000 to 45,000 acre feet will be available to lease, depending on water supply in any given year, and roughly 25,000 acre feet of storage would be needed to allow the program to operate most efficiently. In the Lower Arkansas there is a wide range of water availability. At least $10 million per year could be brought into the valley’s economy.
Oamek said, “It is possible farm production will drop. It is possible that there will be some offset for local Ag suppliers in revegetation costs.
HDR investigated the program and found that it has advantages of keeping lease payments in the local economy, rather than the alternative of an outright sale of water, whereby the money would most likely leave this valley. This happened in Crowley County twenty (20) years ago.
Oamek stated, “We’re looking at what is the baseline?” and “We’re concerned about people on the outside that are coming in to buy the water.”
Tim Gates CSU
General Manager Winner introduced Tim Gates, Professor at Colorado State University (CSU):
Professor Gates gave an update on using the field data and computer models. We are trying to discover the best solutions to irrigation problems.
Improvement Strategies:
Increased irrigation efficiency and rotational fallowing:
Ø Reduction in recharge
Ø Reduction in seepage
Subsurface drainage
Altered pumping patterns
Combined strategies
We have discovered some favorable possibilities for the Arkansas River Valley;
Ground water table depth can be markedly increased, soil salinity can be significantly reduced, and relative crop yields increased (average 10 percentage points) by improving irrigation efficiency, reducing canal seepage, and installing subsurface drains in selected regions.
Salt (and likely Se) loads to the river can be reduced substantially (up to 40%), and in stream and state line concentrations (up to 10-20%) can be lowered, by diminishing recharge to the saline water table, increasing irrigation efficiency and reducing canal seepage.
Measures taken to lower the high water table may result in significant reduction in non-beneficial consumptive use under uncultivated fields and under cultivated fields during the off-season (by as much as 25,000-75,000 ac-ft/year in the valley).
Key Finding:
The same strategies that would boost agricultural productivity would also benefit the river environment.
We are now working to find the best ways to achieve the favorable possibilities for the Arkansas River Valley.
Ø Polyacrylamide to reduce canal seepage
Ø Current irrigation practices and prospects for increased efficiency
Ø Water conservation and improved quality by reduced non beneficial consumptive use
Ø Subsurface drainage to control water logging and salinity
Ø Modeling best ways to manage river to reduce concentrations & comply with compact
Future Directions:
Ø Continue Field Studies of irrigated stream-aquifer system, more emphasis on segments 1A, 1B, Fountain
Ø Refine and apply models, incorporating Se and salt to determine best solution strategies and evaluate impact on In stream and state line flows and concentrations
Ø Design and implement larger scale pilot programs for field testing the solution strategies
We would like to thank Lower Arkansas Valley Water Conservancy District for their support for 2006-2007, but we need continuing support for 2007-2008 and are requesting for $30,000 to $50,000.
Chairman Singletary response, CSU has been good; our productive has been more viable. They have analyzed the Fountain Creek’s flow. We do appreciate the use of information and study and should support it.
Motion was made by Director Whittaker to financial support CSU for $35,000 for 2007-2008, second by Director Esquibel. Motion unanimously carried.
PRESIDENT’S REPORT:
Chairman Singletary stated, “I’m very proud of the District’s work.” “We look back, when this District was formed and we have accomplished a lot.”
Chairman Singletary commented on how Fountain Creek is coming along. Colorado Springs Utilities has been good to work with finding a coordinator for Fountain Creek. No conflicts, which is good. THK Associates presented good resume and power point. Colorado Springs Utilities and Lower Arkansas Valley Water Conservancy District were impressed with the applicants and how well the interviews went.
Chairman Singletary stated that Reclamation sent a 40 year contract to Aurora for storage within exchange component.
Chairman Singletary stated, “General Manager Winner will attend a meeting on August 17, 2007.” We sent our objections on this contract and it’s very important to us. The State of Colorado has turned around in the last twenty (20) years. Look at the reduction of 60,000 acres. We need to make sure things are done right for the Lower Arkansas Valley. We need to oppose the long term contract.
Director Whittaker stated, “The board should oppose, we need to stick with it.”
Chairman Singletary stated, “I was talking to someone from the Bessemer Canal. They have excess water, which will probably be carried over. But if it’s not used by next May, they will lose it. Why can’t we get with the Bureau and find a place, so farmers can use it. It would be nice for Agriculture if they could store it like Municipal. We need to explore possibilities.”
Director Whittaker reported, “Otero County farmers have more crop, they seem to be happy with the water and weather.”
Director Esquibel reported, “I’ve had the opportunity to be aware of the local newspaper. Local produce good outlet for Pueblo County.”
Director Moore reported, “Crowley County has several nice looking alfalfa fields, good looking bales. We haven’t seen that in a long time.”
Chairman Singletary reported, “Corn this year has been exceptional in our area. Water in the river is great. Everything looks good.”
COMMITTEE REPORTS:
Personnel: Director Kennedy stated, “The board is impressed with the staff. They have had amazing with the production, without them we couldn’t go forward.”
Liaison: Director Kennedy had nothing to report.
Legal: Director Esquibel had nothing to report.
Director Esquibel brought to the board’s attention that the board needed to appoint a budget officer for the District per §C.R.S.29-1-104. Motion was made by Director Esquibel to appoint Kim Chavez as budget officer, seconded by Director Moore. Motion unanimously carried.
LEGAL REPORT:
Bart Mendenhall reported that he participated in the meeting with the steering committee for the lease-fallowing entity selection on Tuesday, July 31, 2007. There was good attendance, with the exception of the Bessemer Ditch Company. Tony van Westrum’s presentation provoked extensive discussion. Good questions were asked, and we received indications of the owner’s concerns. Good progress was made, considering many of the participants had not been previously involved. The next meeting, August 21, 2007, should be even more productive, since these individuals are now up to speed, and all participants will have had an opportunity to visit with their constituents about the issues.
We have filed our disclaimer in the Ullom matter. John S. Lefferdink has asked that Jay sign another release, which I have reviewed and provided to Jay for his signature. That should go back tomorrow.
We continue to work on conservation easements, both new, and the follow-up on closed easements. We have provided the appropriate documentation for the separation of parcels and transfer of the Norwood easement in Crowley County.
PUBLIC COMMENT:
Chairman Singletary asked if there were any comments.
John Merson of John Martin State Park reported, “It has been a pretty good year, there was significant storage water at the beginning of the season, however, it has now slowed down.” Visitation this year has increase roughly 25-35% at the Park.
Chairman Singletary thanked everyone for attending Lower Arkansas Valley Water Conservancy District Board Meeting.
ADJOURNED:
Chairman Singletary asked if there were any other matters to come before the Board. Hearing none, motion was made by Director Esquibel, seconded by Director Whittaker to adjourn the meeting. Motion unanimously carried. Meeting was adjourned at 11:52 A.M.