The Republican River Water Conservation District Board of Directors are planning on having its regular quarterly meeting in person at the Phillips County Event Center in Holyoke on Tuesday, August 18.
It will be from 10 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. Public comment will be heard at 1 p.m.
As a public agency the RRWCD is required to comply with the current State rule requiring face masks and social distance seating. Disposable masks and hand sanitizer will be provided during the meeting.
For anyone who wishes to participate but will not be able to attend the meeting due to concerns about COVID, RRWCD staff is looking at options to provide a Zoom video conference platform as well. If it is possible a link will be provided on republicanriver.com
If the State changes the level of response to COVID by prohibiting in-door gatherings, the meeting will be held only through a ZOOM video conference. Watch the RRWCD website, www.repubicanriver.com for information on how to attend the meeting or call the District office, 970-332-3552 for more details.
The agenda includes a report by State Engineer Kevin Rein, and update reports from the RRWCD’s engineer, conservation program specialist, federal and state lobbyists and legal counsels.
The board will discuss applications to the Central Yuma Ground Water Management District and to the Sandhills Ground Water Management District for the export of water to the Compact Compliance Pipeline.
Board members also will discuss a recent request that the RRWCD consider purchasing inactive wells, as well as the George Seward project, and consider the possible options for the RRWCD Dryden property in 2021.
If necessary, the board will hold an executive session per Colorado statutes for closed door sessions.
For more information about the meeting, please contact General Manager Deb Daniel at 970-332-3552, or email her at deb.daniel@rrwcd.com.
Big rain in Wray should help compact compliance
The massive rain that fell on Wray and the surrounding area a couple of weeks ago caused flooding issues, but it also might help Colorado with compliance with the Republican River Compact.
Reports had the rainfall ranging from four to 10 inches falling over the course of about two hours.
When asked about it, RRWCD General Manager Deb Daniel said it does help with compact compliance by potentially increasing the amount of allocation Colorado receives on the North Fork of the Republican River, which runs through and winds its way to Benkelman, Nebraska.
Colorado receives 22.4 percent of the virgin flow on the North Fork that is measured at the Colorado/Nebraska state line. Daniel explained that since flow was significantly increased, Colorado will benefit from it in regards to the compact.
She added that there is also the potential for a higher calculated beneficial consumptive use (CBCU) for Colorado on the North Fork. Daniel said the rain event will be a benefit in that areas that received several inches of rain because pumping pumping needed to grow will be reduced.
She added that “This type of event will show up in the future in the groundwater model as a recharge event and potentially could show less groundwater withdrawals from that area in the State of Colorado.”