HomeMy WebLinkAbout11586RESOLUTION NO. 11586
A RESOLUTION APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING
TRANSMITTAL OF A LETTER OF SUPPORT TO
COLORADO'S CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION FOR
FEDERAL LEGISLATION CONCERNING THE
FRYINGPAN - ARKANSAS PROJECT
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF PUEBLO, that:
SECTION 1
The City Council hereby approves and authorizes transmittal of a letter, in
substantially the form attached hereto, to each member of Colorado's Congressional
Delegation, supporting federal legislation concerning the Fryingpan- Arkansas Project.
SECTION 2
The President of the City Council is hereby authorized and directed to sign the
letter to each member of the Congressional Delegation.
A77TSTDD SY:
CITY CLERK
INTRODUCED: ADril13.2009
BY: Barbara Vidmar
COUNCILPERSON
APPR D' } �-
PRESIDENTaf Cfty Council
April 14, 2009
The Honorable Mark Udall
United States Senate
Senate Hart Office Bldg. SH -317
Washington, D.C. 20510
Re: Fryingpan - Arkansas Project
Dear Senator Udall:
The City of Pueblo ( "Pueblo ") had entered into a May 2004 Intergovernmental Agreement ( "IGA ")
with the Southeastern Colorado Water Conservancy District ( "Southeastern"), the Board of Water
Works of Pueblo, and the cities of Aurora, Fountain and Colorado Springs (collectively, the "IGA
Parties "). The IGA set forth an agreed resolution of multiple and complex water issues that existed
among the IGA Parties, including some arising from proposed federal legislation concerning the
Fryingpan- Arkansas Project ( "Project ").
Under the IGA, Pueblo agreed, inter alia to support certain proposed federal legislation authorizing
the Bureau of Reclamation ( "Reclamation ") to (a) conduct a feasibility study of methods to meet
water supply needs within the area served by the Project, and (b) enter into contracts for use of the
Project's excess storage and conveyance capacity by entities located within the Arkansas River basin
and the city of Aurora. Pueblo's agreement to support such legislation was induced by IGA
commitments to include in the legislation provisions (1) requiring the Secretary of the Department
of Interior, acting through Reclamation, to consider the IGA (including the enforceable Flow
Management Program established therein) in conducting the feasibility study, and (2) authorizing
the Secretary to refuse to enter into excess capacity contracts with any entity whose exercise of water
rights would diminish the water supply available to the Flow Management Program unless they
entered into an agreement with Southeastern agreeing to be bound by the Flow Management
Program. The IGA Parties also agreed that the authorization for excess capacity contracts would
require the contracting entities to also participate in a voluntary flow program to maintain a flow of
not less than 100 cfs just below Pueblo dam.
The proposed Project legislation had not moved forward due largely to objections by the Lower
Arkansas Valley Water Conservancy District ( "Lower ") to provisions in the legislation allowing
Aurora to participate in excess capacity contracts. Lower and Aurora have recently approved a
stipulation and settlement in a federal court case, under which Lower has now agreed to support the
federal legislation.
Pueblo looks forward to working cooperatively with the IGA Parties, Lower and the Congressional
Delegation in requesting that federal legislation consistent with the IGA requirements summarized
above be drafted and passed by Congress, so that the consumptive and non - consumptive water needs
of Colorado may continue to be met in the years ahead.
Ve truly yours,
Vera Ortegon
President of the City Council