FOBHL
Board meeting minutes
April 10, 2007
BHCNR meeting room at 7pm
Call to order and Welcome – Bob C New Board members welcomed: Jim Liner – Powell
HD and Margaret Yarbrough – Cowley
All board members present except Bruce Morrison, who was excused.
Darrell Cook – BHCNRA (excused)
Jeff Herriford attended for BHCNRA
Directors items
MORE Show – Each board member responded with the consensus that it was very worth while. We should consider it for another year but with a smaller booth. When those in the booth went out to the people looking on, the most contacts and new members where made. We received 50 new members and another 65 for future email contacting. We appreciate all who helped from start to finish, logging in over 300 hours. There were 40 who worked the booth plus countless others who helped.
The remaining prints and cards from the MORE Show will be used in up coming trade shows in Cody and Powell.
Meetings attended since mid March:
March USBR water meetings: Mar21 – Billings, Keith and Ken attended.
The spring MTAO USBR interagency meeting where Bighorn Lake water management operations are presented. The plan presented called for outflows of 1500 cfs to continue to May 1 then go to 2000 cfs until fall (please see # for details) . This plan will not work with the present 60% (SWE) snow water equivalent. We were given 2 weeks for public comment then on April 10 the approved plan will be posted. (Today the plan is 1500 cfs for April and May with an increase in early June to 2000 cfs if inflows and storage allow) #
WYAO USBR water meetings: Mar 23 – Worland, Keith and Bob C attended
Mar 27 – Powell: Keith, Ken, Bob, Jim plus 10 other FOBHL members attended.
These spring meetings are very informative and well presented with all issues being considered. The main theme was the low snow packs and low SWE values in both watersheds. Even with spring snows water amounts won’t change much. In Powell two members of the MTAO team were present to hear first hand from John Lawson the WYAO report of low water storage and proposed low outflows from Boysen and Buffalo Bill reservoirs. #
FOBHL Exec Committee & BHCNRA Mtg Mar 28 – Bob C
See the minutes of that meeting attached.
Review April water meetings todate – Gillette, Senator Thomas; Keith and others This meeting was to brief Senator Thomas on the Crow Compact, Baucus Bill in Congress and the overall status of the Bighorn Lake issues.
Lovell, USBR & CORE - Keith, Ken, Margaret, HD This 5 hour meeting and tour of the Bighorn Lake was to observe, gather data, and discuss a plan for silt management/control for the south end Bighorn Lake area.
Vision West Meeting - Schedule a meeting with Eric Robirds @ Vision West to plan for DVD filming in early May. The week of April 16 was suggested with Bob N, Ken and Bob C in attendance.
June 23, “It’s A New Day At Bighorn Lake event planning: Ken will lead a discussion at Saturday’s member meeting in Lovell to inform and ask for a committee leader for each event. Each board member will have responsibility to over see at least 2 committee leaders.
Grants programs: We are still working with BHCNRA on how to properly make use of grants that FOBHL will be applying for in the future.
FOBHL member Munch and Mingle meeting Apr 14, 6 to 8pm: We will munch and mingle from 6 to 6:30pm. Margaret is in charge of the eats! Mike Durtsche of BHCNRA will welcome the group. Bob C will present membership and financial information then lead a power point discussion of events since last July. Ken will conclude with a power point presentation to get the June 23 event organized.
Members of FOBHL (45 businesses representing ~ 900 employees and 139 individual families totaling over 1000 families)
Banking info: $9223 deposits $3999 expenses $5224 bal as of 3/31/07 plus donated memberships. eg: professional services, equipment and operators, etc. this amounts to several thousand dollars.
WE will continue to fine tune the FOBHL bylaws
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Items for further discussion with BHCNRA at our next meeting
Wind/temp gauges at Crook creek station
Webcam at marina to check weather and etc interests
Restroom at Jim Ck
VIP for summer on the water driftwood control
Low water access at Horseshoe Bend ramp
Upcoming Meetings
USBR /CORE Billings meeting to discuss raising the lake level from 3640 to 3645 April 11 – Keith will attend
Bighorn River, Dam and Reservoir Long-term Issues Group Ft Smith meeting Thursday April 12, 9am to 4 pm
Keith, Ken, Elaine Harvey, Joe Anderson and Ferrel Mangus attending #
FOBHL member meeting Apr 14, 6 to 8pm Munch and Mingle at BHCNRA
BHCNRA/FOBHL Exec meeting Wednesday April 25 1:30 pm at BHCNRA
Next FOBHL Board meeting Tuesday May 8 7pm BHCNRA