Board Meeting | March 19-20, 2025

Meeting Notice

A meeting of the CWCB will be held on Wednesday, March 19, 2025 commencing at 9:00 AM and continuing through Thursday, March 20, 2025. The meeting will be held at the Doubletree Hotel 919 7th St. Greeley 80631 and virtually on Zoom.

There will be a dinner for Board members and staff held at the Rio Grande Mexican Restaurant in Greeley from 5:30 - 8:00p.m. on Wednesday, March 19, 2025.

The CWCB posts notice 30 days in advance of each regularly scheduled meeting. Notices for special meetings are posted on the website typically within five business days and not less than 24 hours of such a meeting. Notices of regular and special meetings may also be received by email. To receive notices by email please visit our Notification Portal.

Although dates and times are indicated in this notice and in the following agenda, the CWCB may address and take action on noticed items in any order. Any item scheduled for the regular agenda may be discussed in executive session if legal questions arise as authorized under § 24-6-402, C.R.S.  Any known changes to the agenda will be announced at the beginning of the meeting. This notice, any late notice(s) of additional items, and briefing memos prepared for the CWCB will be on our website.

The CWCB’s meetings are made available through live audio/video streaming on YouTube, although Board workshops are not. To listen to the proceedings, find links to either day's meeting on the right sidebar.

The CWCB encourages citizens to express their views and provide feedback to the Board on the agenda items. This can be done by filling out this form, by sending a letter to a Board member or to the Chair of the Board, or by attending the meeting. If you want to make a public comment during the meeting you must fill out a comment sheet prior to the meeting date and email it to the Board Coordinator. The Board will appreciate hearing your views when it reaches that agenda item. If you have any questions, need special accommodations as a result of a disability, or require further information on any CWCB activity, please contact Viola Bralish at 303-866-3441, ext. 3206. All programs, services, and activities of the CWCB are operated in compliance with the Federal Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

The Zoom link below is for presenters and commenters only. If you wish to watch the meeting, please use the YouTube links to the right.

Zoom link here.

Meeting ID: 828 7783 6782 

Passcode: 642601

Meeting Agenda

Wednesday, March 19, 2025

CWCB Call to Order and Pledge of Allegiance - 9:00-9:02

1. Review and Approve Agenda - 9:02-9:05
    
2. Review and Approve January 27 & 28, 2025 Board Meeting Minutes - 9:05-9:08
    
3. Approve and/or Remove Consent Agenda Items - 9:08-9:15

2025 CWCB Board Meeting Dates & Potential Locations

a. May 21 & 22 – Yampa/White Basin
b. July 16 & 17 – Arkansas Basin
c. September 17 & 18 – Southwest Basin, Finance Committee September 16
d. November 19 & 20 – Denver Metro Area

4. Directors’ Reports - 9:15-10:15
   1. DNR Executive Director/IBCC Director
   2. CWCB Director
   3. Agriculture Commissioner
   4. State Engineer
   5. Division of Parks and Wildlife Director
   6. Water Resource and Power Development Authority

Morning Break - 10:15-10:30

5. Instream Flow Appropriations -10:30-11:15
   Stream and Lake Protection Section
   1. Public Notice of 2026 Instream Flow and Natural Lake Level Recommendations
   2. Public Comment on 2025 Instream Flow and Natural Level Appropriations in Water Divisions 4, 5, and 6
   3. Request to Form Intent to Appropriate Instream Flow Water Rights in Water Divisions 4, 6, and 7
       
6. Instream Flow Acquisitions - 11:15-11:45
   Stream and Lake Protection Section
   1. Request for Approval of a Water Conservation Program for Larimer County on Boxelder Creek – Water Division 1
   2. Proposed Water Use Agreement with Garfield County to Lease Ruedi Reservoir Water for Instream Flow Use on the 15-Mile Reach, Water Division 5 (1st meeting) 

LUNCH - 11:45-12:45

7. Request for Authorization to Proceed to Trial in Active Opposition Case - 12:45-12:50
   Stream and Lake Protection Section
   1. Case No. 20CW3208 (Water Division 1): Application of Montava Partners, LLC (fka HF2M, Inc.)
       
8. Request for Authorization to Proceed to Trial in Stipulated Opposition Cases - 12:50-12:55
   Stream and Lake Protection Section
   1. Case Nos. 21CW3029 and 21CW3030 (Water Division 5): Application of Eagle River Water & Sanitation District and Upper Eagle Regional Water Authority
       
9. Request for Authorization to Initiate Formal Rulemaking to Revise Instream Flow Rules to Implement Section 2 of SB24-197 - 12:55-1:15
   Stream and Lake Protection Section 
    
10. Spring Drought and Flood Update - 1:15-1:35
    Water Supply Planning & Watershed and Flood Protection Sections 
     
11. Transformative Landscape Change Action Updates - 1:35-2:05
    Water Supply Planning Section
     
12. Agriculture Action Updates - 2:05-2:20
    Water Supply Planning Section 
     
13. Attorney General’s Report, Legal Briefing, and Executive Session - 2:20-2:25
14. Afternoon Break - 2:25-2:40
     
15. Executive Session - 2:40-3:10
    1. Colorado River Post-2026 Negotiations
        
16. Report from Executive Session - 3:10-3:15
     
17. Water Plan Grants - 3:15-4:15
    Grants Section
    1. Category – Agriculture
       Applicant – Upper Gunnison River Water Conservancy District
       Project – Integrated Physical and Geochemical Estimation of Agricultural Return Flows East River Basin
    2. Category – Agriculture
       Applicant – Community Agriculture Alliance, Inc.
       Project – Bear River Automation Phase 1
    3. Category – Agriculture
       Applicant – Dolores Water Conservancy District
       Project – Dolores Operations Model Modernization
    4. Category – Agriculture
       Applicant – Center Conservation District
       Project – San Luis Valley Wool Pellet Project
    5. Category – Conservation & Land Use
       Applicant – Thompson School District
       Project – Elementary School Landscaping Upgrade
    6. Category – Conservation & Land Use
       Applicant – Multiplier
       Project – Advancing High Impact Water Efficiency Solutions in Colorado Communities – Phase 3
    7. Category – Conservation & Land Use
       Applicant – Urban Land Institute
       Project – Phase 2 of Water Wise Development Initiative
    8. Category – Engagement & Innovation
       Applicant – Moxiecran Media LLC
       Project – Thirsting for a Future: Water & Youth in a Changing Climate
    9. Category – Water Storage & Supply
       Applicant – Town of Crested Butte
       Project – Town of Crested Butte Slate River Alternative Water Supply Feasibility Project 
    10. Category – Water Storage & Supply
        Applicant – Ute Mountain Ute Tribe
        Project – Ute Mountain Ute Tribe Federal Reserved Water Rights Options Study
    11. Category – Water Storage & Supply
        Applicant – Pueblo, City of
        Project – Lake Minnequa Restoration
    12. Category – Watershed Health & Recreation
        Applicant – Jefferson Conservation District
        Project – Lower North Fork Sediment Stabilization
    13. Category – Watershed Health & Recreation
        Applicant – Ducks Unlimited
        Project – San Luis Creek Watershed Restoration Project
    14. Category – Watershed Health & Recreation
        Applicant – Mount Werner Water and Sanitation District
        Project – Mount Werner Water District: Yampa River Streambank Restoration Project
    15. Category – Watershed Health & Recreation
        Applicant – San Luis Valley Irrigation District
        Project – Rio Grande Reservoir Low-Flow Pipe Design
    16. Category – Watershed Health & Recreation
        Applicant – Town of Pagosa Springs
        Project – Pagosa Gateway Project: San Juan River Recreational and Ecological Enhancements 
    17. Category – Watershed Health & Recreation
        Applicant – Colorado Rio Grande Restoration Foundation
        Project – Wildfire Ready Action Planning – Conejos and Costilla Counties Project
    18. Category – Watershed Health & Recreation
        Applicant – Trout Unlimited
        Project – Forest Hill Mill Site Reclamation
    19. Category – Watershed Health & Recreation
        Applicant – Trout Unlimited
        Project – Planning and Capacity to Enhance River Stewardship and Recreation Across Colorado’s Rivers
    20. Category – Watershed Health & Recreation
        Applicant – RiversEdge West
        Project – Grand Valley River Corridor Initiative – Master Planning and Floodplain Restoration Project

RECESS - 4:15
 

Thursday, March 20, 2025

17. Basin Directors’ Reports - 8:30 – 10:00
    1. Colorado River (Mainstem) Basin Director’s Report
    2. San Juan/San Miguel-Dolores River Basin Director’s Report
    3. Gunnison River Basin Director’s Report
    4. North Platte River Basin Director’s Report
    5. South Platte River Basin Director’s Report
    6. Arkansas River Basin Director’s Report
    7. City and County of Denver Director’s Report
    8. Rio Grande River Basin Director’s Report
    9. Yampa-White River Basin Director’s Report

Morning Break - 10:00-10:15 

18. Financial Matters - Construction Fund and Severance Tax Perpetual Base Fund - 10:15-10:25
    Finance Section
    1. Financial Projections and Cash Management Report
        
19. Water Project Loans - 10:25-10:45
    Finance Section
    1. Fort Bent Ditch Company – Willow Creek Siphon Repair
    2. Rio Grande Water Conservation District – Special Improvement District No. 2 – Williams Creek Water Rights Purchase
        
20. Pagosa Area Water & Sanitation District – Dry Gulch Reservoir Loan - 10:45-11:15
    Finance Section 
     
21. Water Supply Reserve Fund Applications March 2025 - 11:15-11:45
    Grants Section
    1. Basin – Gunnison
       Applicant – Terror Ditch & Reservoir Company
       Name of Water Activity – Terror Ditch Pipeline Project
    2. Basin – Metro
       Applicant – City of Aurora
       Name of Water Activity – Inaugural Airborne Snow Observatories Surveys in the Upper South Platte Basin
    3. Basin – Metro & South Platte
       Applicant – Republican River Water Conservation District
       Name of Water Activity – South Fork Republican River Bonny Dam Subsurface Sediment Drainage
    4. Basin – Rio Grande
       Applicant – Colorado Rio Grande Restoration Foundation
       Name of Water Activity – Rio Grande Basin ASO Project
    5. Basin – Rio Grande
       Applicant – Colorado Rio Grande Restoration Foundation
       Name of Water Activity – Waterwise Landscaping Partnership
    6. Basin – Rio Grande
       Applicant – San Luis Valley Irrigation District
       Name of Water Activity – Farmers Union Canal 1-D Bay Bridge Replacement
    7. Basin – South Platte
       Applicant – Sterling Irrigation Company
       Name of Water Activity – Sterling No 1 Ditch Bypass Structure Replacement
    8. Basin – Southwest
       Applicant – Lone Cone Ditch & Reservoir Company
       Name of Water Activity – Lone Cone Reservoir Rehabilitation – Phase 2: Construction
    9. Basin – Southwest
       Applicant – Farmers Water Development Company
       Name of Water Activity – Gurley Dam 2nd Slip Repair
    10. Basin – Yampa/White/Green
        Applicant – White River Conservation District
        Name of Water Activity – Oak Ridge Park Ditch Stream Crossings
    11. Basin – Yampa/White/Green
        Applicant – Town of Oak Creek
        Name of Water Activity – Sheriff Reservoir Dam Rehabilitation Spillway and Embankment Improvements Phase
         
22. PEPO Application for Consideration March 2025 - 11:45-11:50
    Water Supply Planning Section
    1. Basin – Statewide
       Applicant – Colorado Water Center
       Name of Water Activity – Colorado Project WET
        
23. Chatfield Reservoir Reallocation – Sale of Orphan Shares - 11:50-12:00
    Finance Section 

Public Comment - 12:00-12:10

ADJOURN - 12:10

CWCB Consent Agenda March 19 - 20, 2025

Matters may be placed on the Consent Agenda when the recommended action follows established policy or precedent, there has been a negotiated settlement, or the matter is uncontested and non-controversial. Staff provides memos to CWCB members explaining the matters on the Consent Agenda. Matters on the Consent Agenda are noticed for hearing in the same manner as other agenda items. If a member of the CWCB requests further consideration of an item on the Consent Agenda, the item will be withdrawn from the Consent Agenda and discussed during the meeting or at the next meeting, with action taken after discussion of the item. If a member of the CWCB requests further consideration of an item on the Consent Agenda that pertains to a pending or imminent court action, the matter will be withdrawn from the Consent Agenda and may be discussed during executive session of the same meeting, and any action on that item will be taken in public session. The Consent Agenda may be voted on without reading or discussing individual items. Any CWCB member may request clarification about any matter on the Consent Agenda.

1. Statements of Opposition
   Stream & Lake Protection Section
   Staff recommends the Board ratify CWCB’s filing of the following Statements of Opposition:
   1. Case No. 24CW3055 (Water Division 2): Application of Upper Arkansas Water Conservancy District
   2. Case No. 24CW3011 (Water Division 3): Application of John H. Wagner, III and Carol J. Wagner
   3. Case No. 24CW3047 (Water Division 4): Application of Cimarron Mountain Club, Inc.
   4. Case No. 24CW3056 (Water Division 4): Application of 1700 Trout Lake LLC
   5. Case No. 24CW3171 (Water Division 5): Application of Casteel Creek Ranch Property Owners Association
   6. Case No. 24CW3177 (Water Division 5): Application of Winter Park Recreational Association
   7. Case No. 24CW3049 (Water Division 6): Application of Westlands, LLC
       
2. Instream Flow Acquisition Fund Requests
   Stream & Lake Protection Section
   1. Poudre River Instream Flow Augmentation Plan
   2. Larimer County Boxelder Creek
       
3. Water Supply Reserve Fund Grants
   Grants Section
   1. Basin – Yampa/White/Green
      Applicant – Yampatika
      Name of Water Activity – Yampatika Youth & Community Water Education
       
4. Water Plan Grants
   Grants Section
   1. Category – Agriculture
      Applicant – Town of Berthoud
      Project – Little Thompson River Corridor Conservation Inventory
   2. Category – Agriculture
      Applicant – Corriente
      Project – Improving Delivery Efficiencies on Ditch and Canal Systems with Low-Cost Data and Records Management
   3. Category – Agriculture
      Applicant – Colorado Trout Unlimited
      Project – Elk Creek: Roseman Ditch Company Water Supply/Delivery Improvements-Design and Planning
   4. Category – Agriculture
      Applicant – Trout Unlimited
      Project – The Camblin Ranch Project: An Innovative Approach to Agriculture
   5. Category – Agriculture
      Applicant – Colorado State University
      Project – Opportunities for Enhancing the Water Productivity of Alfalfa Based Production Systems in Western Colorado
   6. Category – Conservation & Land Use
      Applicant – City of Lafayette
      Project – Integrated Water Conservation and Drought Response Plan
   7. Category – Conservation & Land Use
      Applicant – Alliance for Water Efficiency
      Project – Colorado River Basin Water Efficiency Network
   8. Category – Conservation & Land Use
      Applicant – Blue River Valley Ranch Lakes Association
      Project – Blue River Valley Ranch Lakes Association Water Meter Installation
   9. Category – Engagement & Innovation
      Applicant – City of Aspen,
      Project – Commercial Water Efficiency Challenge, Rebate, and Awards Program
   10. Category – Engagement & Innovation
       Applicant – University of Colorado Boulder
       Project – GameOn for Drought Resilience: Youth Led Rural Engagement
   11. Category – Water Storage & Supply
       Applicant – Uncompahgre Valley Water Users Association (UVWUA)
       Project – West Side Intra-System Storage Project – Feasibility Study
   12. Category – Water Storage & Supply
       Applicant – Deutsch Domestic Water Company, Inc.
       Project – Water Source Development and Conservation Measures
   13. Category – Watershed Health & Recreation
       Applicant – Ducks Unlimited
       Project – Loveland East Big Thompson Corridor Planning
   14. Category – Watershed Health & Recreation
       Applicant – The Watershed Center
       Project – Plans to Actions for Emerging Priorities
   15. Category – Watershed Health & Recreation
       Applicant – Fountain Creek Watershed Flood Control and Greenway District
       Project – Southmoor Drive Channel and Floodplain Restoration Phase II
        
5. Floodplain Designation 
   Watershed and Flood Protection Section
   1. “Santa Fe Park South, Dad Clark Gulch FHAD Floodplain Development Permit, Littleton, Colorado”, by Westwood Professional Services, dated December 2024
       
6. Water Plan Grant – Change of Grantee
   Grants Section
   1. Chaffee County Fourmile Creek Restoration

Related Links

Printable Agenda

Receive event notices

The CWCB posts notice 30 days in advance of each regularly scheduled meeting. Notices for special meetings are posted on the website typically within five business days and not less than 24 hours of such a meeting. Notices of regular and special meetings may also be received by email.

Receive email notices

Listen to this meeting live

The CWCB’s meetings are made available through live audio streaming on YouTube, although Board workshops are not. To watch and listen to the proceedings, click on the links below (available the day of the meeting):

Wednesday, March 19th

Thursday, March 20th

Note: Youtube links are not working as of 3/20/25, join via Zoom link to the left.

Share feedback with the board

The CWCB encourages citizens to express their views and provide feedback to the Board on the agenda items. This can be done by sending a Public Comment Request form to Viola.Bralish@state.co.us, or by sending a letter to a Board member or to the Chair of the Board. The Board will appreciate hearing your views when it reaches that agenda item.

Need anything else?

If you have any questions, need special accommodations as a result of a disability, or require further information on any CWCB activity, please contact Viola Bralish at 303-866-3441, ext. 3206. All programs, services, and activities of the CWCB are operated in compliance with the Federal Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).