2016
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION 16-1002
       
       BY REPRESENTATIVE(S) Coram and Mitsch Bush, Becker J.,
       Brown, Buck, Court, DelGrosso, Esgar, Garnett, Ginal, Hamner,
       Joshi, Landgraf, Lawrence, Leonard, Lontine, Lundeen, Melton,
       Moreno, Navarro, Neville P., Pettersen, Priola, Ransom, Ryden,
       Saine, Salazar, Singer, Thurlow, Tyler, Van Winkle, Vigil, Willett,
       Williams, Windholz, Winter, Young;
       also SENATOR(S) Baumgardner, Roberts, Carroll, Cooke,
       Crowder, Donovan, Garcia, Grantham, Heath, Hill, Hodge, Holbert,
       Jahn, Johnston, Jones, Kefalas, Lambert, Lundberg, Marble,
       Martinez Humenik, Merrifield, Neville T., Newell, Scheffel, Scott,
       Sonnenberg, Steadman, Tate, Todd, Woods.
       
    CONCERNING TIMELY ACCESS TO FEDERAL LANDS 
          FOR DAM RESTORATION PROJECTS. 
       
          WHEREAS, Colorado faces an increasing gap between water supply
       and demand that could reach a statewide shortfall totaling 500,000
       acre-feet or more by 2050; and
       
          WHEREAS, Water storage is paramount as a means to address this
       increasing gap in Colorado; and
       
          WHEREAS, Reservoirs used for water storage and the dams and other
       structures used to retain water within them should be operated and
       maintained in a manner to maximize their water storage capacity; and
       
          WHEREAS, The General Assembly has authorized the State Engineer
       to inspect dams routinely to determine the safe storage level of reservoirs;
       and
       
          
       
       
          WHEREAS, When, upon inspection, the State Engineer determines
       that the condition of a dam is unsatisfactory and the dam is in need of
       repair or rehabilitation, the State Engineer will restrict the water level
       behind the dam for safety purposes, thus limiting the reservoir's storage
       capacity; and
       
          WHEREAS, It is imperative for the purpose of maximizing our state's
       water storage capacity that any dam put under restriction be restored to a
       satisfactory condition as soon as practicable to remove the storage
       restriction; and
       
          WHEREAS, In order to access a dam or other water storage structure
       for maintenance, repairs, or rehabilitation, an owner or operator of the
       structure located on or requiring access through federal land must seek
       permission, sometimes in the form of a special use permit, from the
       federal agency managing the land; and
       
          WHEREAS, In Colorado, there is variation in the extent of
       communication and cooperation between local branches of federal land
       management agencies and owners or operators of dams or other water
       storage structures regarding access to the water structure to maintain,
       repair, or rehabilitate the structure; and
       
          WHEREAS, This lack of communication in some instances has
       caused problems and, thus, counteracts efforts to maximize our state's
       water storage capacity and protect water quality and critical natural
       resources; and
       
          WHEREAS, Lack of cooperation and communication could further
       exacerbate the deteriorating condition of the structure, potentially
       increasing both the cost to restore the structure to a satisfactory condition
       and the risk the deteriorating structure poses to the safety of the citizens
       of Colorado; now, therefore,
       
          Be It Resolved by the House of Representatives of the Seventieth
       General Assembly of the State of Colorado, the Senate concurring herein:
       
          
       
       
          That we, the members of the Colorado General Assembly, urge federal
       agencies, specifically the United States Forest Service and the Bureau of
       Land Management, to communicate and work cooperatively on requests
       for permission to access a dam or other water storage structure when the
       purpose of accessing the water storage structure is to maintain, repair, or
       rehabilitate the water storage structure.
       
          Be It Further Resolved, That copies of this Resolution be sent to
       members of Colorado's congressional delegation, the Chief of the United
       States Forest Service, and the Director of the Bureau of Land
       Management.
       
       
       
       
       _________________________________________________________
       Dickey Lee Hullinghorst               Bill L. Cadman
       SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE                    PRESIDENT OF
       OF REPRESENTATIVES                        THE SENATE
       
       
       
       
       ____________________________  ____________________________
       Marilyn Eddins                           Effie Ameen
       CHIEF CLERK OF THE HOUSE                SECRETARY OF
       OF REPRESENTATIVES                        THE SENATE