h_agr_2016a_2016-03-07t13:30:00z0 Hearing Summary

Date: 03/07/2016

01:34 PM -- HB 16-1256



Representative Brown, sponsor, presented House Bill 16-1256, concerning a study regarding the creation of additional water storage in the South Platte River Basin. The bill instructs the Colorado Water Conservation Board (CWCB), in collaboration with the State Engineer, to conduct or commission a hydrology study of the South Platte River Basin to estimate, for each of the previous twenty years, the volume of water that has been delivered to Nebraska in excess of the amount required in the South Platte River Compact and that could have been otherwise stored in the Lower South Platte River Basin.



The following persons testified on the bill:



01:44 PM -- James Eklund, Director Colorado Water Conservation Board (CWCB), spoke in support of the bill, as it would be amended by Amendment L.001 (Attachment A). Mr. Eklund discussed the municipal and industrial gap of water supply to water demand in the South Platte River Basin. He responded to questions from the committee regarding how the study would be funded, and how the newly commissioned study would affect the South Platte Recovery Program for Endangered Species. Representative Brown also responded to questions from the committee. Mr. Eklund discussed the similarities and differences between the John Martin Reservoir, on the Arkansas River, and a possible reservoir in the South Platte Basin. He also discussed past litigation regarding water issues between Colorado and Kansas.



160307 AttachA.pdf



02:14 PM -- Bruce Whitehead, Executive Director, Southwestern Water Conservation District, testified remotely in support of the bill. Mr. Whitehead discussed the Colorado Water Plan's stated need for more storage and stated that he would still support the bill with the proposed amendments.



02:20 PM -- Michael Preston, Chairman Southwest Basin Roundtable, testified remotely in support of the bill and stated that the proposed study falls within the Southwest Basin's Basin Implementation Plan, which was created in order to help develop the Colorado Water Plan. Mr. Preston stated that he would support the bill with the proposed amendments.



02:22 PM -- Steve Harris, Southwest Basin Roundtable, testified remotely in support of the bill.



02:25 PM -- Christian Reece, Executive Director, Club 20, testified remotely in support of the bill.



02:29 PM -- David Nickum, Trout Unlimited, spoke in opposition to the bill. Mr. Nickum stated that he would support the bill as amendment by proposed Amendment L002. Mr. Nickum also stated that the Metro Basin Roundtable did not take a position on the bill.



02:34 PM -- Chris Treese, Colorado River Water Conservation District, spoke in support of the bill.



02:35 PM -- Joe Frank, Manager, Lower South Platte Water Conservancy District, spoke in support of the bill.



02:40 PM -- Emily Ibach, Colorado Farm Bureau, spoke in support of the bill.



02:43 PM -- Ben Starkelbaum, Colorado Association of Conservation Districts, spoke in support of the bill.



02:43 PM -- Pat Ratliff, Colorado Water Congress and South Metro Water Supply Authority, spoke in support of the bill.



02:45 PM -- Brock Herzbarg, Colorado Dairy Farmers, spoke in support of the bill.



02:47 PM -- Nick Colglazier, Colorado Competitive Council, spoke in support of the bill.



02:50 PM -- Sophie San Miguel, representing herself, spoke in support of the bill.



02:53 PM



Representative Brown moved Amendment L.001, which had already been distributed to the committee. Representative Mitsch Bush moved and distributed Amendment L.004 (Attachment B), which amends Amendment L.001.



160307 AttachB.pdf

02:57 PM



Representative Brown concluded his comments on the bill.