MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE MEETING SUMMARY
11/03/99

MEETING SUMMARY

Meeting: Colorado River Management Committee, Denver, Colorado

Date: November 3, 1999

Attendees: See Attachment 1

>Assignments are highlighted in the text.

CONVENE: 9:00 a.m.

• Introductions. Review/modify agenda and time allocations - The agenda was revised as it appears below.
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• Approve August meeting summary - The summary was approved as written.
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• Program Updates

• • Program web site: Tom Czapla demonstrated the stocking record information on the Program web site. Robert Wigington requested that previous stocking be shown, as well as family lots. >Tom said he would add those.
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  • Development of recovery goals - Tom Czapla said we'll be looking at the upper and lower basins as separate management units with separate recovery goals. Rich Valdez will make a presentation at the next Biology Committee meeting on November 23 in Denver and will meet with the Recovery Team again on November 29-30 in Las Vegas. >Tom Czapla will post the Service's distinct population segment ruling to the web site. Susan Baker asked Bruce McCloskey about Colorado's effort to develop recovery goals. Bruce confirmed that Tom Nesler has been assigned to develop recovery goals for Colorado, but he didn't know the timeline. Henry Maddux said he would like to know how Colorado and the Program can best exchange information to best further both efforts. >Bruce will ask Tom Nesler to post an update on Colorado's effort to the listserver.
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  • Facilities Needs Plan - Tom Czapla said Grand Junction can meet the needs for Colorado pikerninnow and that Wahweap can meet the needs for bonytails called for in both the Utah and Colorado stocking plans. Approximately 600 acres of riverside ponds will be needed in Colorado and 30-40 acres of ponds in Utah will be needed for razorback sucker growout. Or, if we use hatchery ponds, about 300 acres of ponds would be needed in Colorado. The Facilities Needs Plan is under revision and will be discussed at the next Biology Committee meeting. Robert Wigington asked if the plan could be formatted in "real years" (as opposed to "year 1, year 2, year 3," etc.) and would address some of the adaptive criteria in the stocking plans. Tom said that will be up to the Biology Committee. Henry said the Program does not have funding to purchase 600 acres of growout ponds, so we clearly will have to prioritize implementation of propagation and stocking, and would adapt stocking as we went along, but we may not put this prioritization and adaptation in the facilities plan. Henry said he hopes the Biology Committee will address some of these implementation issues at their next meeting. Frank said that to some extent, we're already prioritizing in our current stocking activities.
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  • Ouray hatchery - Brent Rhees said they've received recommendations from the engineers to resolve the operational problems at Ouray (both the Service and Reclamation concur with these recommendations): 1) add a UV system in addition to the ozone system already in place; and 2) add stages and replace motors on the pumps to solve the pressure problems. The minimum cost to the Program will be over $80,000, the maximum cost to the Program will be $125,000 ($75,000 for the UV system, $25,000 for engineering; $10,000 for pumps and motors, and $15,000 for meters and monitors). These modifications can be completed by the end of January. Brent Uilenberg said that if the Service and Reclamation are comfortable that this is the appropriate technical fix, then we can find this in FY 2000 funds currently programmed for Grand Valley Water Management. The Committee approved expenditures up to $125,000 (from FY 2000 Grand Valley Water Management funds) to fix Ouray (with the understanding that Reclamation will do everything they can to negotiate with the contractor to pay for the portion for which the contractor is responsible).
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  • Wahweap - Brent Rhees said that the 14 ponds have been completed, and there are enough funds left in account to purchase the needed bird netting ($35,000). >Frank Pfeifer will contact UDWR to let them know where he got nets for Horsethief ($900 to cover 6 ponds). The pump and motor and the wellhouse repairs will cost $108,000 instead of the $60,000 estimate. Utah just planned to spend what was previously approved, but that won't provide the wellhouse and piping that's really necessary. Chris questioned how we continue to get estimates that are so far off the mark, and Brent said that the estimates are often made with minimal information. The Committee encouraged Utah to hold the cost down on the pump, etc. as much as they can, but approved up to an additional $48,000 to complete this work so that the pump, etc. will operate properly (this also will come from the FY 2000 Grand Valley Water Management funds).
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  • Growout pond leasing update - Dave Soker distributed a description of the purpose, provisions, advantages, and criteria for growout pond leases. The cost is determined by appraisal (which can be difficult, since it's hard to find comparables). We've leased one pond so far, it's in the city of Grand Junction (3 acres, $9,000 for the 5 years [probably one of the more expensive locations]). In addition, Colorado has given us 5 ponds to use free (from State Parks). Dave asked that if anyone knows of suitable ponds in the Grand Valley or around Vernal, to please let him know. Dave said he's looking at 7 more ponds (-14 acres) in the Grand Valley area and 7 in Utah. If low appraisal costs are preventing us from leasing important ponds, then Program participants would like to look into ways of offering higher leases. >Brent Uilenberg, Bruce McCloskey, Bruce Snyder, Henry Maddux, Robert Wigington, Frank Pfeifer, Tom Pruitt, and Dave Soker will meet and look into creative ideas for growout ponds.
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  • Price-Stubb FERC license - Brent Uilenberg noted that Reclamation had distributed a newsletter update on Price-Stubb and Grand Valley Project fish passage. The date for a decision on the FERC license for Jacobsen Hydro is unknown. The Service's draft biological opinion on the FERC license is in the Regional Office for signature. Brent said he still believes that selective removal of nonnatives fishes is possible at Grand Valley (although maybe less convenient).
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• Long-term funding legislation - Tom Pitts reported on the House hearing. Panel members testifying were: David Hayes (DOI), Dan Luecke, Kathleen Clarke, Leslie James, and Tom Pitts. OMB has raised some issues about the non-reimbursable annual funding, and Bob Faber (subcommittee staff) thinks the funding should come from the Service, so we still have those concerns to address. The committee chairman said he would have some written questions for the panel. The Senate hearing will be early next year. Congressman Hansen came to the hearing and gave an opening statement. WAPA is doing some analyses of the impact on the Treasury of non-reimbursable annual funding for DOI. >Chris Karas will post a copy of David Hayes' final written testimony to the listserver. Robert Wigington asked about the recommendation to remove the language giving Reclamation the ability to carry over funding from one year to the next. Both Chris and Brent assured the Committee that only the amount that we actually spend will be counted against the ceiling.
• Section 7 Consultation
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  • 15-Mile Reach programmatic biological opinion - Tom Pitts reported the opinion is moving toward closure: the Service issues a final draft at the end of October. Water users and others met a couple of days ago and identified some remaining issues regarding: 1) language about the 20KAF from coordinated facilities operations; 2) language in the recovery agreement about participants signing within 90 days (not enough time for those who have to go to boards); 3) the need to modify language in Section 7 agreement that addresses PBO's and how Program will cover existing depletions in other basins; and 4) use of Ruedi water. Tom will meet with Henry in the next couple of days to resolve these. Everything is on track to get a final opinion by Christmas. Dan said that CWCB is having a workshop for Board members and the public on November 19 in Denver from 1-3 p.m. >Dan will post that to the PBO listserver.
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  • Yampa River programmatic biological opinion - Gerry Roehin distributed a draft outline of the Yampa Management Plan. He and a small work group are working to flesh out this outline and present it to the larger work group in early December. The synthesis report also will be finalized and distributed before the next meeting. The most difficult issue is administration of the Yampa River (some water users believe that administration would result in taking more water rather than less from the river). Dan McAuliffe of CWCB is chairing the Yampa River PBO working group.
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  • Addendum to Section 7 Agreement to address programmatic biological opinions - Henry Maddux noted that the current agreement doesn't address PBO's. David Hallford and Margot Zallen and he have been exchanging draft language, but haven't reached agreement yet. In addition to the 15-Mile Reach and the Yampa River, the River District believes PBO's are needed for the Gunnison, White, and Dolores rivers, and the mainstern below the 15-Mile Reach. The District wants all existing uses plus a measure of future depletions in each basin to be covered as they are in the 15-Mile Reach PBO, and this will be a condition of them taking the 15-Mile Reach PBO to their Board for approval. Robert recommended that the Section 7 agreement be modified so as to be flexible enough to include all the options. >Susan, Henry and Margot will meet with the River District to try to iron out their differences and then bring something to the Management Committee. A Management Committee conference call may be needed.
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  • Options for providing regulatory certainty for existing tributary depletions - Henry Maddux provided 3 options for the Committee's consideration. Tom Pitts expressed concern with the part of option #2 that implies manufacturing recovery actions for each tributary whether those actions are a priority or not.
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  • Section 7 consultation list -
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Narrows: Henry noted that he posted the RPA and conservation recommendation from the draft Narrows biological opinion to the listserver. The conservation recommendation portion is non-binding and recommends collecting more information on the flow requirements for Colorado pikerninnow in the Price River. It was put in a conservation recommendation to avoid having Section 7 drive biological priorities. >Chris Karas will send the project description and the RPA to the Management Committee for comment. >Committee members will get comments back to Reclamation within two weeks of the date when it is sent out. Barry said that this underscores the need to complete the research on the importance of tributaries as well as the recovery goals so that we're not recommending flows that are not essential to recovery,

Angela Kantola distributed the most recent Section 7 consultation list and Tom Pitts distributed the companion tables.

• FY-99 capital funds outcome - Brent Uilenberg distributed a table outlining FY 2000 capital funds. They've been asked to absorb $500,000 in underfinancing from this Recovery Program. The list also shows the projects for which Reclamation has requested authority to carry over FY 99 funds. Reclamation will let the Committee know as soon as they know what they're authorized to carry over. Brent feels that we'll be okay even with the underfinancing because he anticipates that the maximum we can spend on Grand Valley Water Management is $1-1.7 million. Dave Soker asked if Reclamation can make land acquisition a higher priority to improve our performance in that area. >Chris Karas and Brent Uilenberg will look into options to accelerate land acquisition (such as using Service appraisers) and get back to the Management Committee by December 3.
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• Tracking:
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  • Sample output from a simplified Program tracking system - Angela Kantola distributed the reports due list and demonstrated the tracking system. The tracking system will be used and maintained by all the Program coordinators to track due dates. Beginning in December, it will be loaded weekly on the Program web site (www.r6.fws.gov/crrip/) in a couple of different sort orders. A downloadable Excel version and a comment form also will be on the web page. Bruce McCloskey suggested that when the coordinator sends an electronic reminder of an upcoming due date, they also copy the agency's Management Committee representative. Henry agreed.
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  • Reports due list - covered under item a.
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  • Capital projects schedule/tracking - Brent Uilenberg distributed a spreadsheet schedule for the major items in the capital funds budget (eventually all capital items will be included). Bruce recommended that original versus actual due dates can be shown in some way. Brent said he and Bob would try to figure out how to work that in by showing the RIPRAP date (the original complete construction date). The Committee agreed that it makes sense to keep this tracking separate from the other system. >Bob and Angela will figure out how to publish this to the Program web site.
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• Review of action items from recent meetings - The Committee reviewed the most recent action items list. Brent Uilenberg recommended that we wait until February to make a decision on Tusher Wash screening, because the amount of water that can be legally diverted may be less than what is currently being taken and that would have a significant impact on the cost of the screen. If the legal question hasn't been settled by February, then we may have to decide to go ahead and screen for the maximum amount. Henry said that he thinks the Service is leaning away from an HCP as a way of preventing take at Tusher Wash, and would likely handle it with consultation on the FERC license, instead.
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• Management Committee Chair - The Committee re-elected John Shields as their chairperson for the upcoming year.
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• Next Management Committee meeting - February 23-24 at Utah Department of Natural Resources in Salt Lake City, 10 a.m. on the 23 d through 4 p.m. on the 24h. >Barry Saunders will arrange a meeting room. The ad-hoc long term legislation group needs to meet again in the very near future. >Henry will talk to Wayne Cook and set a meeting date.
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ADJOURN - 3:30 p.m.

Attachment 1

Colorado River Management Committee, Denver, Colorado

November 3, 1999, Meeting Attendees

Management Committee Voting Members:

Brent Uilenberg and Chris Karas Bureau of Reclamation

Bruce McCloskey State of Colorado

Tom Pitts Upper Basin Water Users'

Barry Saunders Utah Department of Natural Resources

Robert Wigington The Nature Conservancy

John Shields State of Wyoming

Shane Collins Western Area Power Administration

Susan Baker U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Nonvoting Members:

Henry Maddux Recovery Program Director, U.S. Fish and Wildlife

Service

Dave Mazour Colorado River Energy Distributors Association

Recovery Program Staff:

Angela Kantola U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Debbie Felker U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Tom Czapla U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Dave Soker U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Others:

Brent Rhees Bureau of Reclamation

Gerry Roehm U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Ray Tenney Colorado River Water Conservation District

Frank Pfeifer U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Gene Shawcroft Central Utah Water Conservation District

Bob McCue U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Dan McAuliffe Colorado Water Conservation Board

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