The State Engineer can approve a substitute water supply plan if certain conditions are met. The Arkansas Valley Super Ditch pilot project is good to go this water year now that the SEO has blessed the scaled-back plan. Here’s a report from Chris Woodka writing for The Pueblo Chieftain. From the article:
“Many people said we’d never get this far in 20 years, but we’ve managed to do it in just four years,” said Jay Winner, general manager of the Lower Arkansas Valley Water Conservancy District, which is funding Super Ditch program. “This will be a benefit to every farmer in the Lower Arkansas Valley.” The transfer is seen as a test case for a much larger program that would move larger amounts of water from as many as seven ditches east of Pueblo. Under Super Ditch, water could be leased by farmers to cities, the state or even farmers on other canals without selling water rights…
Wolfe rejected an assertion by Tri-State Generation and Transmission that a water court filing must precede the substitute water supply plan, saying he has statutory authority to issue a permit as long as all conditions are met. He also rejected Tri-State’s claim that some of the return flows from the transfer will lag more than five years. The Super Ditch plans to build ponds to return water to the river over multiple years, just as the water historically would have run off the fields. The pilot program follows accepted ways to return flows to the river, Wolfe said.
The State Engineer has approved the Rio Grande Water Conservation District’s annual replacement plan for groundwater Sub-district No. 1.
From email from the State Engineer’s office:
On May 1, 2012 State Engineer Dick Wolfe approved the Annual Replacement Plan for Subdistrict No. 1. This Approval was filed with the Division No. 3 Water Court.
All documents are located on DWR’s website at the following location:
http://water.state.co.us/DivisionsOffices/Div3RioGrandeRiverBasin/Pages/Division3EventsAndLinks.aspxNote: these documents can also be downloaded from the DWR’s FTP site:
ftp://dwrftp.state.co.us/dwr/ARP_Subdistrict1/
From the Colorado Division of Water Resources via the Summit Daily News:
Jointly sponsored by the Colorado River District and the Blue River Watershed Group, the evening begins with water administration and project updates for the BLue River Basin, followed by a discussion of current snowpack and runoff predictions.
Bob Steger from Denver Water and Ron Thomasson from the Bureau of Reclamation will report on Dillon and Green Mountain Reservoir operations and how those operations will affect water-based recreation opportunities.
Summit County manager Gary Martinez will provide an update on the Colorado River Cooperative Agreement, while George Sibley commemorates the 75th anniversary of the Colorado River District with an historical perspective of the District, as well as Summit County’s water struggles and achievements over the years.
Scott Hummer, now the project manager for the Colorado Water TRust, will discuss the organization and its mission to protect and restore streamflows throughout Colorado.
The Blue River Watershed Group will highlight developments with collaborative restoration efforts. It will also be a chance to shake hands with Summit County’s new water commissioner, Troy Wineland.
From the Lamar Ledger:
Josh Kasper, a five year employee with the Division of Water Resources and formerly employed near Hotchkiss, Colo. has been named Water Commissioner for Districts 66 and 67. His new area of responsibility is the southeastern corner of Colo. which includes Bent, Prowers, Kiowa and Baca counties.
Josh’s father Pete Kasper is currently a Water Commissioner in the Pagosa Springs area. Josh brings the experience, skills and expertise to the Arkansas Valley that will ensure proper administration of the waters of the state of Colo. “Josh is his own man and has his own mind. He will bring transparency and accountability to the Division of Water Resources’ administration of the Lower Arkansas Valley by being able to answer the tough questions candidly and admit when he is wrong or doesn’t know the answer.” said Division Engineer Steve Witte.
Kasper, being a second-generation Water Commissioner, a rancher and farmer, knows what it takes to get things done while understanding the trials and tribulations of the profession. “I am happy to be selected as Water Commissioner in this community,” said Kasper. “This position provides a challenge for me and I feel that I am up for the task. Learning about Colorado’s obligations under the Arkansas River Compact is a new experience, and I am excited to be working closely with the farmers, ranchers, ditch companies and the local communities to provide quality water administration.”
More Arkansas River basin coverage here.
Rio Grande River basin: Subdistrict No. 1 public hearing April 19, come by and see the latest groundwater model run results
April 14, 2012
Click here for a copy of the letter from State Engineer Dick Wolf to the SLV Advisory Committee.
More coverage from Ruth Heide writing for the Valley Courier. From the article:
Groundwater users will begin to pay back surface water users for the harm they have caused them on May 1, at least in the closed basin area north of the Rio Grande where the San Luis Valley’s first water management sub-district was formed.
Before that happens, however, area residents will have an opportunity to comment on the sub-district’s annual replacement plan detailing how it will begin to replace depletions this year.
The state engineer’s office plans a formal public hearing on the replacement plan next Thursday, April 19, at 10 a.m. at the Ramada Inn (formerly Inn of the Rio Grande) in Alamosa.
Colorado Division of Water Resources Division Engineer for Division 3 Craig Cotten said the sub-district board at its meeting on April 3 took comments on its replacement plan and voted to send the plan on to the state engineer’s office with some minor modifications and additions. The sub-district has to have its final annual replacement plan to the state engineer by April 15.
The state engineer will then hold a formal public hearing on April 19. People may sign up that morning to speak, and comments will be recorded. State Engineer Dick Wolfe will likely make a decision soon afterward and must make a decision prior to May 1, when the replacements must begin.
Here’s the link for the Rio Grande Water Conservation District Annual Replacement Plan from the Division of Water Resources.
Here’s a guest commentary written by Eric Kuhn, David Modeer and Fred Krupp running in The Denver Post. The trio are issuing a call to arms of sort, asking for input for the Colorado River Basin Study. Here’s an excerpt:
Management of the Colorado River is a complex balancing act between the diverse interests of United States and Mexico, tribes, the seven basin states, individual water users, stakeholders, and communities. The challenges posed by new growth and climate change may dwarf anything we faced in the past. Instead of staring into the abyss, the water users, agencies, and stakeholder groups that make managing the Colorado River responsibly their business are working together, using the best science available to define the problem, and looking for solutions.
We’re calling our inquiry the Colorado River Basin Study, and we want your help. As Colorado River management professionals, we have a lot of knowledge and ideas, but we know that we don’t have them all. We want ideas from the public, from you, but we need your input by February 1. You can submit your suggestions by completing the online form at: http://on.doi.gov/uvhkUi.
The big question we need to answer is: What are the reasonable water management options and strategies that will provide water for people, but also maintain a healthy river system? We don’t believe there’s a single silver bullet that will resolve all of our challenges. We want to continue to explore the benefits and costs of every possibility, from conservation to desalination to importing water from other regions.
The West was built on innovation and hard work, and that spirit is still strong. Our landscapes and communities are unparalleled in their beauty, resilience, and character. The economic well-being of our rural and urban communities in the Colorado River basin is inextricably linked to Colorado River and its environmental health.
That’s why we are asking for the public’s input to help us craft a study showing a path forward that supplies our communities with the water they need to thrive and protects the health of the Colorado River-and the ecosystems and economies it supports.
More Colorado River basin coverage here.
Rules designed to limit consumptive use now cover nearly 20,000 acres in the Arkansas Valley
December 10, 2011
From The Pueblo Chieftain (Chris Woodka):
Understanding irrigation in the Lower Arkansas Valley
Consumptive use refers to the amount of water a crop uses to grow, either through uptake into the plant and transpiration, or through evaporation. Usually it is measured in inches, but presumptive factors have been incorporated into the hydrologic-institutional model under the U.S. Supreme Court Kansas v. Colorado case.
Return flow is excess water applied to fields that runs off as tailwater or infiltrates soil. Water also can seep out of earthen ditches as it makes its way to the fields.
Water-short ditches, such as the Fort Lyon Canal or Holbrook Ditch, typically have more ground available to irrigate than water supplies will cover. Other ditches, such as the Catlin or High Line canals, have plentiful water except in very dry years.
Sprinklers, drip irrigation and ditch lining allow water to be applied more efficiently to fields. In the process, more water could be consumed as more acreage is planted on water-short ditches or used more often on ditches with adequate water. Return flows could be reduced as a result.
State engineer rules were adopted in Division 2 water court in 2009 to prevent shortages of return flows on the Arkansas River, to downstream users in both Colorado and Kansas…
This year, the Lower Arkansas Valley Water Conservancy District established a group plan for farmers who use ponds to feed sprinklers to comply using formulas under Rule 10 of the surface irrigation rules. The plan also covers other types of improvements such as ditch lining and drip irrigation, but sprinklers account for nearly all of the impact so far. The Lower Ark district will use water from other sources, such as a five-year lease agreement with the Pueblo Board of Water Works, to provide augmentation water to make up depletions from increased consumptive use.
While the group plan requires a retainer fee and payment for augmentation water if the formula shows depletion, the payment is far less than farmers otherwise would spend on engineering at each site to show losses. So far, 88 farms with 104 improvements covering 19,767 acres are enrolled in the Lower Ark’s Rule 10 plan, said Heath Kuntz, the district’s engineering consultant. “We’re anticipating a lot of growth over the next few years,” Jay Winner, general manager of the Lower Ark district, told the compact administration.
From the state’s point of view, the program has been the backbone for enforcing the new rules. About 75 farms were signed up at the beginning of the program in April, and the others have signed on at the end of the irrigation season as the state assessed impacts, said Bill Tyner, assistant engineer for Water Division 2. “The Rule 10 plan has turned out to be the most successful part of the rules,” Tyner said, thanking the Lower Ark district and the Colorado Water Conservation Board for the seed money which launched the group plan.
More Ark Valley consumptive use rules coverage here and here.
2011 Colorado State Engineer’s Forum: Colorado Water — How Can Our State Agencies Cooperate?
September 22, 2011
From email from the State Engineer’s Office (Pat McDermott):
The State Engineer’s Forum will be held in South Fork, CO at the Biggins Restaurant – formerly the Hungry Logger
Friday, September 30, 2011 (the Public is Invited to Attend)
State Engineer’s Forum “Colorado Water – How Can Our State Agencies Cooperate” from 8:30 a.m. to approximately 3:00 p.m. will feature keynote speaker Mike King, Director of Colorado Department of Natural Resources.
This forum will include speakers from State agencies that regulate, administer, or own water in Colorado. Invited agencies include the Division of Parks and Wildlife, Colorado Water Conservation Board, Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission, Colorado State Land Board, Office of the Attorney General, and the Division of Water Resources.
Registration begins at 8:00 a.m. and your registration fee includes a delicious Mexican food buffet-style lunch.
Question and Answer session with Dick Wolfe, State Engineer and Director of the Division of Water Resources.
Please attend! This forum provides an opportunity for you to learn about how your State agencies regulate water.
Click here for their information form. Registration closes Monday, September 26.
