Governor Hickenlooper orders work to begin on Colorado Water Plan — draft due December 2014

From The Pueblo Chieftain (Chris Woodka):

Gov. John Hickenlooper’s charge to the Colorado Water Conservation Board to develop a state water plan could have the same sort of impact as the 1969 overhaul of state water law. “It is major, and truly significant,” said Alan Hamel, the Arkansas River basin representative on the CWCB. “There is the need to not only look out for growth, but to deal with climate change and the validity of our water systems.”

Hickenlooper unveiled an executive order last week at the board’s meeting in Grand Junction that directs the CWCB to deliver a draft plan to him no later than Dec. 10, 2014. It will be completed by Dec. 31, 2015. “Throughout our state’s history, other water plans have been created by federal agencies or for the purpose of obtaining federal dollars,” Hickenlooper said in his written order. “We embark on Colorado’s first water plan written by Coloradans, for Coloradans.”

While the order is no surprise — Hickenlooper has talked about having a plan in place by 2016 for months — it clearly defines the CWCB as the lead agency in developing the plan. Hickenlooper also incorporated other state agencies into the planning process, including the Department of Natural Resources, which includes Parks and Wildlife; the Department of Public Health and Environment, which includes the Water Quality Control Commission; the Water Resources and Power Development Authority, which like the CWCB can make water project loans; the Department of Agriculture; and the Colorado Energy Office, which will incorporate the water-energy nexus. The plan also directs the CWCB to include input from the Interbasin Compact Committee and basin roundtables, because they have developed a grassroots approach and a framework for discussing water issues.

However, the plan suggests a more top-down approach to coordinate, streamline and align existing state processes with input from state water groups — much the same way the CWCB used to create the Statewide Water Supply Initiative reports.

It also comes during a shakeup in CWCB leadership. Executive Director Jennifer Gimbel will leave in June and the selection process for her replacement has already begun.

The biggest major change in state water law came in 1969, when the state Legislature revamped the law to combine tributary groundwater and surface rights. Changes since then have been influenced by court decisions more than decisions by the executive branch.

Other sweeping changes came in 1937, when the CWCB was created in response to the Colorado-Big Thompson Project, and through sweeping federal programs like the Clean Water Act in 1972.

From The Pueblo Chieftain (Chris Woodka):

Storage must be a key part of any statewide water plan, because other goals such as conservation, more efficient supply and water quality cannot occur without it. “There is an underlying understanding that storage is needed and it will be a vital component of a state water plan,” said Alan Hamel, who represents the Arkansas River Basin on the Colorado Water Conservation Board.

The state has been looking at water strategies that include conservation, completing existing and proposed projects and sharing water. Those things can’t happen unless the state has enough places to keep water until it’s needed, Hamel said.

Hamel is just one vote on the board that Gov. John Hickenlooper has charged with developing a state water plan by 2016. But he has been a consistent voice for increasing storage since he led the push for the Preferred Storage Options Plan as president of the Southeastern Colorado Water Conservancy District in the late 1990s.

He mentioned a new idea for the Arkansas River basin during an interview this week: A summer storage program. In the 1970s, after Pueblo Dam was built as part of the Fryingpan-Arkansas Project the Southeastern district crafted a winter storage program that allows farmers to store flows from Nov. 15 to March 15. The same concept could be used during extremely wet summers to capture and save water for both municipal and agricultural use, Hamel said.

The major difficulty in developing a plan is the state’s prior appropriation system, which allocates water according to its first historic use. Large storage projects like Lake Pueblo provide flood control by capturing excess water, but also decrease the peak flow of rivers, which can hurt junior rights. The key is to develop an accounting system, as the winter storage program did, that would protect junior rights, Hamel explained.

Hamel also pointed out that the CWCB already is working toward other aspects that eventually will be in the plan. One of those efforts is developing water-sharing arrangements, such as the Arkansas Valley Super Ditch, through demonstration projects under HB1248, already signed into law by Hickenlooper.

From The Grand Junction Daily Sentinel (Gary Harmon):

Colorado water officials are to draft a state water plan by December 2014 under an executive order issued on Wednesday by Gov. John Hickenlooper. The plan calls on the Colorado Water Conservation Board to head the planning process, working with other state agencies, river basin roundtables and other organizations to preserve agriculture in rural Colorado and while accommodating population growth.

The water conservation board met Wednesday in Grand Junction.

“Colorado deserves a plan for its water future use that aligns the state’s many and varied water efforts and streamlines the regulatory processes,” Hickenlooper said in a statement. “We started this effort more than two years ago and are pleased to see another major step forward. We look forward to continuing to tap Colorado’s collaborative and innovative spirit to address our water challenges.”

Ute Water Conservation District General Manager Larry Clever said the response to the governor’s call was guarded. “The devil’s in the details,” Clever said.

According to the Statewide Water Supply Initiative, the gap between water supply and demand could exceed 500,000 acre feet by 2050.

The report is to be complete by 2015.

More CWCB coverage here.

Governor Hickenlooper orders work to begin on Colorado Water Plan — draft due December 2014

Here’s the release from Governor Hickenlooper’s office:

Gov. John Hickenlooper today directed the Colorado Water Conservation Board (CWCB) to begin work on a draft Colorado Water Plan that will support agriculture in rural Colorado and align state policy to the state’s water values.

“Colorado deserves a plan for its water future use that aligns the state’s many and varied water efforts and streamlines the regulatory processes,” Hickenlooper said. “We started this effort more than two years ago and are pleased to see another major step forward. We look forward to continuing to tap Colorado’s collaborative and innovative spirit to address our water challenges.”

An executive order signed by Hickenlooper directs the CWCB to utilize the work of the state’s grassroots water process, the Basin Roundtables and Interbasin Compact Committee, in developing a draft report by December 2014. A final report should be completed one year later.

The Colorado Water Plan is necessary to address a variety of issues, including:

The gap between water supply and water demand. The Statewide Water Supply Initiative forecasts that this gap could exceed 500,000 acre feet by 2050. Moreover, the largest regional gap is set to occur in the South Platte Basin, the most populous as well as the largest agriculture-producing basin.

Colorado’s drought conditions threaten to hasten the impact of the water supply gap. Indeed, the past two decades have been Colorado’s warmest on record, dating back to the 1890s.

Colorado’s water quantity and quality questions can no longer be thought of separately. Each impacts the other and state water policy should address them conjunctively.

Interstate water concerns are as pressing as ever and require Colorado to be vigilant in protecting its interstate water rights pursuant to its nine interstate compacts and two equitable apportionment decrees.

The Executive Order directs the CWCB to work with its sister agencies within the Colorado Department of Natural Resources as well as the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, the Colorado Water Resources and Power Development Authority, the Colorado Department of Agriculture, the Colorado Energy Office, and other relevant state agencies as needed. Each of these agencies is directed to cooperate with the CWCB as needed on the Colorado Water Plan.

“Throughout our state’s history, other water plans have been created by federal agencies or for the purpose of obtaining federal dollars,” the order says. “We embark on Colorado’s first water plan written by Coloradans, for Coloradans. Nevertheless, our past and current data and studies will aid in developing a plan for the future.”

A signed copy of the complete Executive Order ca be found here.

From the Summit County Citizens Voice (Bob Berwyn):

Colorado water experts will try to figure out how to manage the state’s most precious resource in an era when all signs points to increasing shortages and the potential for growing conflicts within the state and the region over its allocation.

Under an executive order issued this week by Gov. John Hickenlooper, the Colorado Water Conservation Board will lead the effort to address the growing gap between supply and demand. Especially worrisome is the gap in the South Platte Basin, the state’s most populous and at the same time, the most productive agricultural basin.

From KDVR ( Eli Stokols):

Hickenlooper also issued an executive order directing the Colorado Water Conservation Board to begin work on a draft Colorado Water Plan to address a water gap and streamline regulations across the state…

Environmentalists, who’ve been firing off sharp-tongued releases criticizing Hickenlooper after a series of legislative battles at the Capitol, lavished praise on the administration Wednesday.

“We are pleased to see that Gov. Hickenlooper highlights the need for smart, efficient water conservation as a key element of the State’s first ever water plan,” said Bart Miller, Water Program Director for Western Resource Advocates. “Conservation is faster, cheaper, and less controversial than building costly structural projects.”

“We congratulate Gov. Hickenlooper and our legislative champions for moving Colorado forward on transportation and water today,” said Conservation Colorado’s Pete Maysmith.

From The Denver Business Journal (Cathy Proctor):

A 2010 report from the Statewide Water Supply Initiative forecast that the gap between water supplies and demand in the state would be bigger than 500,000 acre feet by 2050. That’s enough water to supply more than 1 million households for a year.

Among Colorado’s river basins, the South Platte Basin — which supplies half the water used by Denver Water and supports agriculture operations downstream of Denver — had the biggest supply-demand gap, according to the governor’s office…

Craig Mackey —co-director of Protect the Flows, which represents 850 businesses that depend on the Colorado River — said Hickenlooper’s order was timely, given that parts of the state may might face water shortages this summer due to dismal snowpacks during the last two years.

“The governor understands that water drives Colorado’s economy and our quality of life, including 200,000 sustainable jobs in our tourism and recreation economy,” Mackey said.

Grand Junction: Next CWCB board meeting May 14-15

From email from the Colorado Water Conservation Board:

The meeting will be held in Grand Junction at the Ute Water Conservancy District offices located at 2190 H 1/4 Road, Grand Junction, CO, 81505.

More CWCB coverage here.

CWCB instream flow program scores water rights for the Upper Colorado River #ColoradoRiver

Here’s the release the Upper Colorado River Wild and Scenic Stakeholder Group and the Colorado Water Conservation Board (Rob Buirgy/Linda Bassi):

A broad-based stakeholder effort to protect the Colorado River received a boost last month when a state court granted water rights designed to keep flows in the river, creating three important instream flow water rights.

“The CWCB is very pleased that the stakeholder group worked through the state’s Instream Flow Program to protect this important reach of the Colorado River,” said Linda Bassi, Stream and Lake Protection Section Chief, Colorado Water Conservation Board. “This is a great example of how our Program can provide regulatory certainty to water users along with preservation of the natural environment.”

The year-round water rights range in flows from 500 to 900 cubic feet per second and will include about 70 miles of the Colorado River from the Blue River near Kremmling to the Eagle River. These rights were decreed to the Colorado Water Conservation Board, the only entity allowed to appropriate instream flow water rights for habitat benefits in Colorado. The decreed amounts reflect minimum flows necessary to “preserve the natural environment to a reasonable degree” – as provided by state law. In this case, the flows are designed to protect fish species, particularly trout.

“This is good news for a stretch of the river that is beloved by generations of anglers,” said Mely Whiting, counsel for Trout Unlimited. “It’s an example of what can be accomplished when working together.”

The 2011 priority date means these instream flow rights will have to be satisfied before water rights filed in later years can take their water.

The Colorado Water Conservation Board filed for the water rights in state water court at the request of the Upper Colorado River Wild and Scenic Stakeholder Group, a diverse group representing key interests, including Front Range water providers, Western Slope governments, affected landowners, conservation groups and recreation interests. The stakeholders have developed a local management plan designed to balance protection of the outstanding values within this segment of the Colorado River with water supply needs. The plan is awaiting approval by the Bureau of Land Management and the U.S. Forest Service.

Issuance of the water rights to protect river flows is a key component of the plan. “We are grateful for the support we receive from all our agency participants, especially the Colorado Water Conservation

Board, and for the concerted efforts of all our stakeholders who worked to bring this vision into reality,” said Rob Buirgy, Project Manager for the Upper CO River Wild & Scenic Alternative Stakeholder Group. “These decrees are an important new tool for us in maintaining the fishing and boating values on this stretch of the river.”

The Upper Colorado River Wild and Scenic Stakeholder Group is composed of American Whitewater, Aurora Water, Blue Valley Ranch, Colorado River Outfitters Association, Colorado River Water Conservation District, Colorado Springs Utilities, Denver Water, Eagle County, Eagle Park Reservoir Company, Eagle River Water and Sanitation District, Grand County, Middle Park Water Conservancy District, Municipal Subdistrict, Northern Colorado Water Conservancy District, Northwest Colorado Council of Governments, Summit County, The Wilderness Society, Trout Unlimited, Upper Eagle Regional Water Authority, Vail Associates, Inc.

More Colorado River Basin coverage here.

2013 Colorado legislation: HB13-1248 (Irrigation Water Leasing Municipal Pilot Projects) is backed by the CWCB

From The Pueblo Chieftain (Chris Woodka):

The Colorado Water Conservation Board wants to develop strategies that would allow temporary transfers of water from farms to cities that allow farmers to maintain ownership of water rights, staffer Todd Doherty told the Arkansas River Basin Water Forum this week.

“Programs are being set up to reduce the costs of transactions to lease water,” he said. Much of that cost is legal fees by taking cases to water court, but some want to determine how to avoid injury to water rights without going to court.

The CWCB is backing legislation, [HB13-1248], to set up 10 pilot programs in Colorado to explore alternative transfer options under the supervision of the CWCB. The bill passed the House and is now moving in the Senate. The bill allows water to be leased by farmers to cities three years in 10 through rotational fallowing through programs such as the Arkansas Valley Super Ditch. The goal of the programs, along with other efforts already undertaken by the CWCB, is to streamline engineering questions to make sure engineering is correct while other water rights are not injured, Doherty said.

Among the current efforts is a cooperative project among the CWCB, the Lower Arkansas Valley Water Conservancy District and farmers Wes and Brenda Herman on the High Line Canal. The idea is to use a conservation easement to ensure water stays in farming, but allows temporary leases to cities.

More 2013 Colorado legislation coverage here.

Grand Valley water related events during May #ColoradoRiver

From the Grand Junction Free Press (Hannah Holm):

Grand Junction will be a hub of water activity in May with both educational events and major policy meetings. Here’s a sampling:

• May 13 — 5:30-7 p.m. Colorado Mesa University Ballroom: State of the River meeting

This annual meeting, co-sponsored by the Colorado River District and the Water Center at Colorado Mesa University, provides an opportunity to learn about our current and projected water supply situation. This year, there will also be presentations on the achievements of salinity control programs in the Grand Valley and research on the feasibility of a “water bank,” which would compensate agricultural water users for voluntarily cutting back water use in order to maintain critical uses during times of shortage. This meeting is a free educational event for the public, and light refreshments will be provided.

• May 14-15 — Colorado Water Conservation board meeting

The Colorado Water Conservation Board (CWCB) is the state’s primary water policy and water project financing entity. The board will have its May meeting in Grand Junction, giving local residents the opportunity to watch the board at work and make comments on agenda items. Details on the location and agenda will be published on the CWCB website prior to the meeting.

• May 16-17 — Colorado Basin Salinity Control Forum

When water is applied to the soils in our region, the flows back to the river often contain high levels of naturally occurring salts. The trouble this causes to downstream farmers has led to many efforts to limit deep percolation through our soils through measures such as canal lining and irrigation efficiency. The Colorado Basin Salinity Control Forum meets regularly to assess the effectiveness of these efforts, and in May, they will hold their meeting in Grand Junction in the Courtyard by Marriott on Horizon Drive.

• May 29-31 — Lower Colorado River Basin float and tour

Not all the water events in May are inside, wonk-talk affairs. On May 30-31, the Colorado Foundation for Water Education will host a tour of key sites in the Grand Valley and uphill on the Grand Mesa. Discussions and sites on the tour will illuminate issues such as the purchase of agricultural water rights to serve the Grand Valley’s growing urban population, energy development in water supply watersheds, endangered fish recovery efforts, and tamarisk control. Prior to the tour, on May 29, the Water Center at Colorado Mesa University will host a float down the river from Palisade to Corn Lake.

DETAILS, DETAILS …

Details on all these events and many more can be found on the Water Center at Colorado Mesa University’s website, at http://www.coloradomesa.edu/WaterCenter/events.html

More education coverage here.

CWCB Drought Update for April #COdrought

Click here to read the update. Here’s an excerpt:

Recent weeks have brought increased precipitation in the northern portion of the state and cooler temperatures have helped to maintain snowpack; levels in the northwest corner have reached near normal conditions and statewide snowpack has increased to 90% of normal. However, the southern portions of the state is experiencing rapid deterioration of conditions and the eastern plains have seen devastating dust storms. Storage remains below average and water providers are preparing for continued drought conditions throughout the spring and summer. CWCB is maintaining a new drought response portal, www.COH2O.co, with additional information on restrictions that have been implemented in specific communities.

 As of the April 16, 2013 US Drought Monitor, 100% of Colorado is experiencing some level of drought classification. D1 (moderate) and D2 (severe) cover 69% of the state, while D3 (extreme) accounts for an additional 25%. 14% of the state is now experiencing exceptional drought (D4), a decrease from last month.

 Spring snow storms have brought significant gains in the snowpack of the northern portions of the state; with the Yampa/ White, North Platte and Colorado basins all near normal at 98, 102 and 103% respectively. The lowest snowpack in the state is in the Upper Rio Grande basin (70%) while the Southwest basins is experiencing 71% and the Arkansas is at 79% of normal for the water year. The Gunnison and the South Platte have also seen increases and are now both at 88 % of average. *

 Despite recent gains in snowpack municipalities and water providers are still responding to drought conditions with both mandatory and voluntary watering restrictions throughout the spring and summer demand season. The CWCB drought response portal http://www.COH2O.co continues to help individuals determine the restrictions in their specific community.

 As of the first of April statewide reservoir storage is at 71% of average. The highest storage levels are in the Yampa/ White River Basin, at 105% of average while the lowest storage in the state is the Rio Grande River basin at 54% of average. All other basins range from 55% to 84% of average. Last year this time the state was at 108% of average reservoir storage.*

 Surface Water Supply Index (SWSI) values have largely decreased across the state over the last month and all values remain negative. Below average reservoir storage and streamflow forecasts contribute to these values and data reflect conditions on April 1, 2013. Recent storms have helped to increase streamflow forecasts by as much as 10% in portions of northern and central Colorado, a component of the SWSI, however despite the increase they remain well below average.

 The long term experimental forecast for April through June of this year is projecting above normal moisture for the eastern plains of the state. Additionally, the Climate Prediction Center at NOAA is forecasting above average temperatures statewide and persistent drought conditions across western portions of the state, with some relief possible on the eastern plains.

 The National Interagency Fire Center Predictive services outlook indicates normal wildland fire potential is expected across most of Colorado from May into July.

 A report from the USFS on Bark Beetles in the Rocky Mountain Region indicates that 4.2 Million acres of land in Colorado and adjacent lands in southern Wyoming have been affected by Mountain Pine Beetle, but the outbreak of the last decade is largely on the decline. However, Spruce beetle is on the rise and is expanding from southern Colorado north toward the Gunnison region.

More CWCB coverage here.

Colorado Water Trust leasing program hopes to shore up streamflow in the Yampa River again this season #COdrought

From Steamboat Today (Matt Stensland):

Last year, the nonprofit organization aimed at keeping waterways flowing leased 4,000 acre feet of water for the Yampa River. That translated into increasing flows by about 26 cubic feet per second for a large part of the summer…

Colorado Water Trust attorney Zach Smith said the spring weather and snowpack amounts will dictate how much water can be leased for the Yampa this year. The bigger the snowpack, the less the group can lease. On Monday, the snowpack in the Yampa/ White River basin was 81 percent of average.

Last year, 4,000 acre feet of water was leased from the Upper Yampa Water Conservancy District, which owns Stagecoach Reservoir. The Colorado Water Trust paid about $140,000, or $35 per acre foot of water…

The Colorado Water Trust is reaching out to water right owners who might be interested in leasing their water this year. Smith will be in Steamboat from 4 to 6 p.m. Thursday in Library Hall at Bud Werner Memorial Library to explain how the Request for Water 2013 water leasing program works. He will discuss the legal authority and technical underpinnings of the program. He also will talk about how the various forms work, what a water user can expect if he or she offers water for lease, how the water valuation process works and approximate timelines.

More instream flow coverage here.

CWCB: Next Water Availability Task Force meeting April 18 #COdrought

From email from the Colorado Water Conservation Board (Ben Wade):

The next Water Availability Task Force meeting is scheduled for Thursday, April 18 from 9:30a-12noon & will be held at the Colorado Parks & Wildlife Headquarters, 6060 Broadway, Denver in the Bighorn Room.

The agenda has been posted at the CWCB website.

More CWCB coverage here.

CWCB: March 2013 Drought Update

Here’s the update from the Colorado Water Conservation Board:

Activation of Phase 2 &3 of the State Drought Mitigation and Response Plan, and the activation of the Agricultural Impact Task Force remain in effect to respond to ongoing drought conditions throughout Colorado.

Late February and March precipitation coupled with periods of cooler than average temperatures have helped to maintain snowpack levels in the Colorado high country. However, the entire state continues to deal with drought conditions and the eastern plains remain exceptionally dry. Given current conditions, 275% of normal precipitation would be needed to reach average peak snowpack statewide, which typically occurs on April 8th. It is unlikely that this will be achieved. Consequently, water providers are preparing for continued drought conditions throughout the spring and summer and some have announced restrictions. Please visit http://www.COH2O.co for more information on restrictions in specific communities.

 As of the March 19, 2013 US Drought Monitor, 100% of Colorado is experiencing some level of drought
classification. D1 (moderate) and D2 (severe) cover 52% of the state, while D3 (extreme) accounts for an additional 27%. 21% of the state is now experiencing exceptional drought (D4), a slight decrease from last month.

 Despite an increase in beneficial moisture during March statewide snowpack has maintained, but not improved, and is currently 77% of average. The highest snowpack in the state is in the Southwest basins (82%) while the South Platte is experiencing the lowest at 67% of normal for the water year. All other basins range from 73-79% of average.

 Municipalities and water providers are actively preparing to respond to continued drought conditions with both mandatory and voluntary watering restrictions throughout the spring and summer demand season. Many major utilities will implement restrictions beginning April 1st. A website http://www.COH2O.co has been developed to help individuals determine what the restrictions in their specific community are.

 Statewide reservoir storage is at 71% of average and 39% of capacity, a slight increase from last month. The highest storage levels are in the Yampa/ White River Basin, at 106% of average while the lowest storage in the state is the Rio Grande River basin at 53% of average. All other basins range from 55% to 82% of average and 16% to 65% of total capacity. Last year this time the state was at 105% of average reservoir storage.*

 Surface Water Supply Index values have decreased across the entire state over the last month and all values remain negative. Below average reservoir storage and streamflow forecasts contribute to these values.

 NRCS is forecasting below average spring streamflows for the entire state, with most of the basins falling within the 50-69% of average forecast range.

 The long term experimental forecast for April through June of this year is projecting above normal moisture across most of the state, especially around the four corners region. Additionally, the Climate Prediction Center at NOAA is forecasting above average temperatures and persistent drought conditions across much of the state.

Here’s the link to the webpage where you can view all the presentations.

More CWCB coverage here.

‘The lower basin is done with its compact allocation, and on occasion they use some of ours’ — Jennifer Gimbel #coriver

From The Pueblo Chieftain (Chris Woodka):

State water officials say that results of a Colorado River basin study do not support the conclusion that there is no more water in the river to develop. After the Bureau oyf Reclamation released the study last year, environmental groups have portrayed it as meaning the Colorado River is out of water, but that’s not the case, said Jennifer Gimbel, executive director of the Colorado Water Conservation Board.

“What’s important about it is that it’s a planning study that’s meant to be a tool for folks as they look at the river,” Gimbel told the Southeastern Colorado Water Conservancy District board last week. “You can play it any way you want it, and some have. They say, ‘a pipeline is impossible,’ or ‘we’re running out of water.’ ” In reality, the lower basin states in the Colorado River Compact (Arizona, California and Nevada) have used their full allocation of water, while upper basin states (Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming) still could claim water from the river.

“The lower basin is done with its compact allocation, and on occasion they use some of ours,” she said.

Ted Kowalski, who specializes in Colorado River issues for the CWCB, pointed to Colorado’s own studies which found that up to 900,000 acre-feet annually within Colorado could be allocated. The states have been working cooperatively to manage the risk of shortages, which have never occurred under the compact, Kowalski said. “Strategies like water banking would reduce the likelihood of shortages,” he added.

Gimbel added that the study did not take into account that cities that export water from the Colorado River like Los Angeles, Denver and Salt Lake City might find other sources of water to better manage the risks.

“We have a variable climate in Colorado,” said Alan Hamel, the CWCB representative from the Arkansas River basin. “We shouldn’t give up on developing our Colorado River entitlement.”

More Colorado River Basin coverage here and here.

Drought news: Say hello to Colorado’s Drought Response Portal (www.coh2o.co) from the CWCB #codrought

I’m not sure if the CWCB has officially launched the website but you can access it here. The URL is www.coh2o.co.

I was able to use the search feature by zipcode and it correctly returned Denver Water and Thornton Water.

The CWCB approves dough for three Arkansas Basin Roundtable projects

From The Pueblo Chieftain (Chris Woodka):

Three Arkansas River basin projects gained approval last week from the Colorado Water Conservation Board. A new water line for the Ordway Feedyard, bank stabilization on the Frost Ranch on Fountain Creek and a study of historic flows and diversions were approved.

The Ordway Feedyard received a $275,000 grant and $2.5 million loan for a $3.2 million project to complete a 10.5-mile pipeline. The pipeline would provide fire protection, as well as saving about 800 acre-feet of water, said Alan Hamel, CWCB board member. The new pipeline would replace a gravity-flow pipeline from Lake Henry with a system that pumps the water uphill. The feedlot needs as much water as a city of 5,500 people would require for its 65,000 head of cattle. It’s the third-largest employer in the county and has a $50 million impact annually on the local economy. It was built in 1972, but the owners subsequently sold off most of the water rights to large cities.

The Fountain Creek Watershed Flood Control and Greenway District received $105,000 for a bank stabilization project on the Frost Ranch on Fountain Creek in El Paso County. The project would demonstrate methods that other landowners along the creek could use to reduce erosion and sedimentation. The total project is about $160,000.

The Southeastern Colorado Water Conservancy District received a grant of $300,000 for a study of weather patterns and water diversions, with a goal of better understanding how water is used in wet and dry years. The study will also distinguish between native water and water imported into the basin. “We need an accounting tool that tells us how much water is available through native or imported sources, how much is in storage and how much can be exchanged,” said Jim Broderick, executive director of the Southeastern district.

All three grants were approved by the Arkansas Basin Roundtable and funded through the water supply reserve account, which comes from mineral severance taxes.

More CWCB coverage here.

Interbasin Compact Committee: Draft Nonconsumptive Toolbox Request for Public Comment

From email from the IBCC (Becky Mitchell):

Below is the link to the Draft Nonconsumptive Toolbox.

The IBCC requested that CWCB develop a toolbox to help roundtables incorporate nonconsumptive needs into their Basin Implementation Plans. This is a resource document for the roundtables and other stakeholders, and brings many documents and technical work together in one place.

The draft report is available online here: http://cwcbweblink.state.co.us/weblink/0/doc/170187/Electronic.aspx?searchid=ee0c3336-ec13-43aa-8b81-460b87f065af

The report has been reviewed by CWCB staff and the IBCC subcommittee, which includes a diverse set of environmental, municipal, and agricultural interests, and is now available for public comment.

Please provide your comments by close of business Monday, May 20th to IBC@state.co.us.

As directed by the CWCB Board, staff will review the document with the roundtable chairs, and be available upon request to present the draft document to basin roundtables. Once the document is finalized, staff will present it along with the technical platform and framework for the consumptive portion of the basin implementation plans to each of the roundtables.

More IBCC — basin roundtables coverage here.

Colorado Water Trust webinar March 22 — Request for Water 2013: How it works

Click here to register for the webinar.

From email from the Colorado Water Trust:

Please join the Colorado Water Trust staff for a presentation detailing how the Request for Water 2013 water leasing program works. This webinar will provide a water user, their representative, or anyone interested in the program with step-by-step instructions for engaging with the Request for Water 2013 program. CWT staff will discuss, briefly, the legal authority and technical underpinnings of the Request for Water 2013 program. CWT staff will explain how the various Request for Water 2013 forms work, what a water user can expect if they offer water for lease, how CWT’s valuation process works and what approximate timelines CWT staff and the CWCB are contemplating for using water rights instream this year. There will be ample time to ask any questions you may have about the program. Please note, however, that we will not be able to answer the question, “Will my water work in the program this year?” As we will discuss, we will ask you to submit an Offer Form so that we may properly and confidentially screen your water right(s) for use in the program.

More instream flow coverage here.

The Arkansas Basin Roundtable wants $300,000 to model diversions

From The Pueblo Chieftain (Chris Woodka):

The Arkansas Basin Roundtable is backing a $300,000 study to develop a way to sort out complexities of water projects.

The roundtable is applying for grants from the Colorado Water Conservation Board to fund a thorough analysis of water use.

“The reason it’s needed is that everyone does planning for an average year, but everyone has to deal with wet years and dry years,” said Jim Broderick, executive director of the Southeastern Colorado Water Conservancy District.

The most extreme case in point were the 2011 and 2012 water years. In 2011, the Fryingpan-Arkansas Project brought over record amounts of water, and the next year yielded one of the lowest amounts ever.

“We need an accounting tool that tells us how much water is available through native or imported sources, how much is in storage and how much can be exchanged,” Broderick said. The plan continues the roundtable’s regional planning efforts that try to incorporate multiple uses into projects.

For instance, the timing of how water is moved for irrigation or municipal purposes can improve flows for rafting and fishing, as demonstrated by the Upper Arkansas River flow program started in 1990.

The study would look at data back to 1982 and develop a report about how water was diverted as supplies varied from year to year. That would provide data for a water supply model that could be posted online to assist water users in planning, based on hydrologic conditions.

“Eventually, it serves an educational purpose as well,” Broderick said.

More Arkansas River Basin coverage here.

Drought news: The next CWCB Water Availability Task Force meeting is March 21, there won’t be a dry eye in the place #codrought

From email from the Colorado Water Conservation Board (Ben Wade):

A Joint Water Availability & Flood Task Force meeting is scheduled for Thursday, March 21 from 9:30a-12noon & will be held at the Colorado Parks & Wildlife Headquarters, 6060 Broadway, Denver in the Bighorn Room.

More CWCB coverage here.

San Miguel River: Montrose County stipulates out of CWCB in-stream flow case

From the Montrose Daily Press (Katharhynn Heidelberg):

Montrose County has given up its objection to a state filing for in-stream flow rights on the San Miguel River in exchange for the Uravan Trust’s water rights when those become available. County commissioners on Thursday approved a stipulated agreement with the Colorado Water Conservation Board concerning the board’s application for in-stream flow rights.

After a separate and heavily contested 2010 filing, the county obtained water rights on the San Miguel last summer and must meet several benchmarks, including constructing at least one reservoir to capture the water.

More San Miguel Watershed coverage here and here.

Colorado River Basin: Recent study by the Bureau of Reclamation highlights future supply problems #coriver

Here’s a guest column running in The Denver Post, written by Allen Best, that gives an overview of the current state of the Colorado River. Click through and read the whole article. Here’s an excerpt:

Tow icebergs from Alaska? Pilfer from a tributary of the Yellowstone River in Wyoming? Or, even sneak water from the Snake, boring a 6-mile tunnel from a reservoir near Jackson Hole to the Green River? While it’s sure to make Idaho’s spud farmers cranky, it would help Tucson, Los Angeles and that parched paradigm of calculated risk, Las Vegas.

Interior Secretary Ken Salazar and everybody else with a megaphone has carefully branded these ideas as improbable or worse. Only slightly more credible is the idea of a pipeline from the Mississippi River. It could originate near Memphis, traverse 1,040 miles and, if reaching Castle Rock, rise 6,000 feet in elevation. Pumping would require a steady 800 megawatts of electricity, or a little more than what the Comanche 3 power plant in Pueblo produces.

In theory, this 600,000-acre feet of muddy Mississippi would replace diversions from the Colorado River headwaters between Grand Lake and Aspen. Those diversions range between 450,000 and 600,000 acre-feet annually. That would leave the creeks and rivers to the whims of gravity and geography, at least until arriving at Las Vegas and other places with growing thirst.
Cheap water? Not exactly: It would cost $2,400 per acre-foot for this Memphis-flavored sludge, assuming the idea isn’t grounded by protests from barge and riverboat operators. (Sometimes they, too, say they need more water.)

More Colorado River Basin coverage here and here.

CWCB/IBCC: Updated Roadmap Memo from John Stulp and Jennifer Gimbel

Click here to read the memo sent to IBCC and CWCB members. Here’s an excerpt:

The process of identifying consumptive and nonconsumptive needs and moving forward with the implementation of identified projects and processes has been a significant accomplishment, and roundtables will continue to work with project proponents to support their implementation. The legislative charge of the Water for the 21st Century Act is to also identify projects and methods beyond those already planned by project proponents to meet Colorado’s gaps for municipal, industrial, agricultural, environmental, and recreational water needs.

Through your efforts, this work has begun to take shape. The IBCC and Basin Roundtables have concluded that the status quo will result in the transfer of too much agricultural water, which will negatively impact the state’s agricultural economy and the environment for many of our river basins. We have identified water supply options to meet our water supply future. The Basin Roundtables developed several portfolios that allowed us to understand the trade-offs and evaluate options. Using that work, the IBCC through a scenario planning process has begun to create an Adaptive Management Framework. The first element of this framework is a “No Regrets/Low Regrets Action Plan”. “No regrets/low regrets” actions could be taken in the near-term regardless of longer term future conditions (i.e. any future scenario that may arise).

More CWCB coverage here. More IBCC — basin roundtables coverage here.

SB13-181: Water Conservation Bd Construction Fund Projects moves out of committee, would fund Chatfield reallocation

From The Greeley Tribune (Eric Brown):

A water development project of huge interest to local farmers got a big boost Thursday, after it had endured setbacks in recent weeks when a couple of participants backed out. The Colorado Senate Agriculture, Natural Resources and Energy Committee moved forward a bill that supports $70 million in water projects, with about $28 million of that going toward the Chatfield Reservoir Reallocation Project, according to a news release from Senate Majority Whip Gail Schwartz, D-Snowmass, who introduced the bill. The measure, [Senate Bill 13-181: Water Conservation Bd Construction Fund Projects] will go to the Senate Appropriations Committee for consideration.

The Central Colorado Water Conservancy District in Greeley, which provides augmentation water to more than 100,000 acres of irrigated farm ground in the area, is one of 13 water-providers participating in the proposed Chatfield project. The endeavor would raise the Denver-area lake by as much as 12 feet, and, in doing so, would provide an additional 2,849 acre-feet of water to some of Central’s users.

The $184-million Chatfield Reservoir Reallocation Project wouldn’t provide immediate help for local farmers, who battled drought last year and are potentially facing another round in the upcoming growing season. But local farmers say they need to secure future water supplies quickly, because the cities around them are growing and are increasing their own water needs.
Central Water and the farmers within its boundaries have long been dependant on leasing excess water from local cities, but those supplies will soon be limited, and are already becoming more expensive. Augmentation water is needed to make up for depletions to the aquifer and surrounding surface flows caused by pumping water out of the ground.

In addition to battling cities for supplies, the additional augmentation water is needed since many of the wells in Central Water’s boundaries were either curtailed or shut down in 2006, when the state made augmentation requirements more stringent. Some farmers haven’t been able to use their wells since then because they haven’t had the necessary amount of augmentation water to do so. Randy Ray, executive director for Central Water, said that, if S.B. 181 goes through, it could speed up the Chatfield project by at least several months. Ray said he expects the Chatfield Reservoir Reallocation Project to get federal approval by the end of 2013, meaning participants can go forward with needed mitigation efforts.

Before additional water can be stored at Chatfield Reservoir, facilities at the state park must be relocated to higher ground and new wildlife habitats must be created, along with other measures. Without the new bill freeing up state funding, the water-providers participating in the proposed project wouldn’t have enough dollars to get going on those mitigation efforts, Ray said.

Two water providers — Aurora Water and the Roxborough Water and Sanitation District — recently backed out of the Chatfield project to pursue other projects. Ray described that development as a “setback.” They had accounted for about 20 percent of the funding for the project. But if the bill can pass this year and make state funds available, mitigation efforts at Chatfield can take place as soon as federal approval comes.

Without the state funds, though, there’s uncertainty about whether there would be enough dollars available, and the project, even with federal approval, would be at a standstill until state funding was available later in 2014, or maybe even farther down the road. According to the news release from Schwartz, the 15 water projects in the bill would get under way without taking money from the General Fund. The funds will come from the state’s Construction Fund and the Severance Tax Trust Fund Perpetual Base Account, both of which include sustainable revolving loan programs. The Construction Fund has helped nearly 440 water projects get going since 1971, according to Schwartz.

In November, voters in the Central Colorado Water Conservancy District approved a pair of water measures, including a $60 million bond issue that would help pay for Central Water’s portion of the Chatfield Reservoir Reallocation Project, along with other endeavors. Central Water officials also are considering the construction of gravel pits for an additional 8,000- 9,000 acre-feet of storage, and buying 1,000 acre-feet of senior water rights with the approved bonds.

More 2013 Colorado legislation coverage here.

Flaming Gorge Task Force: ‘I felt we set the groundwork to move forward’ — Reed Dils

From The Pueblo Chieftain (Chris Woodka):

Colorado still needs to look at projects to bring in new water supplies despite a state water board’s decision last month to put the Flaming Gorge pipeline task force on ice. The Arkansas Basin Roundtable, the main proponent of the task force, still supports dialogue with other state roundtables on the subject and getting the statewide Interbasin Compact Committee to tackle the issue head­-on.

“It’s time we start looking at issues,” said Jeris Danielson, who represents the roundtable on the IBCC. The IBCC has adopted a “four­legged stool” that includes new supply along with identified projects, conservation and agricultural transfers.

The Colorado Water Conservation Board in January voted to suspend funding for the task force, saying the committee was duplicating work assigned to the IBCC. The group began its work in 2011 to determine issues surrounding two proposals to build water pipelines from southwestern Wyoming to Colorado’s Front Range.

“All of us thought the task force made good progress and had some good discussions on tough issues,” said Alan Hamel, who represents the Arkansas River basin on the CWCB. “Their thoughts will be folded into other work the CWCB is doing to move forward new­supply discussions.”

“I think the most important thing we did was establish a list of attributes for what constitutes a good project,” said Betty Konarski, a member of the task force.

“I felt we set the groundwork to move forward,” said Reed Dils, a task force member and former CWCB representative. “If we’re ever going to see another large project in the state, it will take the cooperation of all the roundtables.”

Roundtable Chairman Gary Barber, who also sat on the task force, said the group identified an immediate gap in agricultural water needs, and a municipal gap by 2020. It made no recommendation on whether or not to build a Flaming Gorge pipeline.

Danielson and Jay Winner, the other basin representative on the IBCC, vowed to press the IBCC to more action at its meeting in March.

More Flaming Gorge Task Force coverage here.

CWCB: Next Water Availability Task Force meeting, February 14 #codrought #cowx

From email from the Colorado Water Conservation Board (Ben Wade):

The next Water Availability Task Force meeting is on Thursday, February 14 from 9:30a-12noon & will be held at the Colorado Parks & Wildlife Headquarters, 6060 Broadway, Denver in the Bighorn Room.

The agenda will be posted at the CWCB website in the next few days.

More CWCB coverage here.

U.S. water infrastructure needs: ‘The cost is massive and the cost of not doing it is massive’ — David LaFrance

From The Pueblo Chieftain (Chris Woodka):

Water infrastructure in the United States is aging and by 2035 could cost $1 trillion to update or replace. Water users should expect to pay higher rates, said David LaFrance, executive director of the America Water Works Association at the closing luncheon of the Colorado Water Congress on Friday.

“The cost is massive and the cost of not doing it is massive,” LaFrance said. “Household bills will go up as the costs keep coming. AWWA is trying to figure out how to do it so the customers aren’t stymied by costs.” The largest costs of water investment are not the dams, pumping stations and other parts visible to the naked eye, but the pipes buried underground.

The bulk of that infrastructure was installed after World War II, and will continue to deteriorate, LaFrance said.

AWWA is working to secure national funding to pay the costs, since 85 percent of the water systems in the U.S. are considered very small. A challenge for larger utilities will be to ensure that costs do not unduly burden poorer customers, he added.

The group also named Sterling native Diane Hoppe, a former state representative and now a member of the Colorado Water Conservation Board, as the Wayne Aspinall Water Leader of the Year.

Congrats to Reagan Waskom new @cowatercongress President & thanks to Mike Gibson for your past service #2013CWC

— Leonard Rice Engr (@LREwater) February 1, 2013

From The Pueblo Chieftain (Chris Woodka):

One of the high points of a water conference that stressed getting future generations interested in water invoked a figure from a century ago.

J.C. Ulrich, an engineer who designed Rio Grande Reservoir, read a few of his letters from the period of 1905­ 1912 during construction. He described the surveying work, conditions for the workmen, disputes with contractors and even the quality of food during construction. Well, actually it was Colorado Supreme Court Justice Greg Hobbs in character — complete with a stout black moustache and bowler hat — reading the letters at the Colorado Water Congress Friday.

Some of the presentations at the conference looked at how younger people can be persuaded to enter careers in water-related fields. Hobbs, a fine actor known for dramatic reading of his own poetry, reprised the role of Ulrich that he created for the 100th anniversary of the reservoir last summer.

The reservoir’s construction came after an 1896 embargo on building reservoirs in the Upper Rio Grande was lifted. This year marks the 75th anniversary of the 1938 Rio Grande Compact among Colorado, New Mexico and Texas.

Water attorneys Bill Paddock and Dave Robbins explained how the compact divides water among the states. A treaty with Mexico also affects the river. Disputes over the Rio Grande date back to the 1880s, when a drought, railroad and canal development converged on the upper portion of the river in Colorado. A 1906 treaty lifted the embargo and allowed the construction of the reservoir.

More infrastructure coverage here.

Flaming Gorge Task Force: ‘I guess neutral is a big win for us’ — Aaron Million

From The Pueblo Chieftain (Chris Woodka):

More state discussions are needed on how to develop Colorado’s share of Colorado River water, a task force that met for more than a year on the Flaming Gorge water project reported Wednesday. The task force did not recommend either building or denying the Flaming Gorge pipeline idea, and wasn’t expected to. Instead, it worked to create a framework that would bring competing interests to the table to evaluate any project proposing development of a new supply from the Colorado River. Its conclusions will be submitted to the Colorado Water Conservation Board, which funded the task force. “I guess neutral is a big win for us,” said Aaron Million, who was one of two sponsors of a Flaming Gorge pipeline who met with the task force last year.

More engineering work is being completed so that the Flaming Gorge project can be resubmitted to a federal agency for environmental evaluation. Million said it would be submitted to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, which rejected an application last year, saying more information was needed. If FERC does not accept the new proposal, either the Army Corps of Engineers or Bureau of Land Management would be approached.

The task force recommended the CWCB and Interbasin Compact Committee, an umbrella organization that represents the interests of basin roundtables and the state, develop a way to evaluate if a project meets certain criteria. The top priorities are developing Colorado’s share of the water under the 1922 Colorado River Compact and protecting the state from a call on the river that could diminish Colorado’s water supply.

The group recommended forming a committee that would continue to discuss issues relating to water and is asking the CWCB for up to $100,000 for phase 2 of the study. The first phase was funded at $72,000 in September 2011, over the objections of environmental groups who tried to kill any consideration of a Flaming Gorge plan.

More coverage from the Associated Press via the Laramie Boomerang. Here’s an excerpt:

In a report to be presented to the Colorado Water Conservation Board, the Basin Roundtable Exploration Committee said questions that should be addressed include not only financing and how Colorado can maximize its entitlements to Colorado River water without overdeveloping the river, but also alternatives to new water supply projects.

The committee said state leaders and each of the basin roundtables in Colorado should participate in the conversation, which it called a “key threshold step” needed to move beyond the status quo in developing significant new water supply solutions. The roundtables represent each major river basin in the state, plus the Denver area.

The report, released Wednesday, described an urgent need for action, citing the gap between the demand for water on the populated Front Range and the supply.

“The municipal gap on the Front Range is immediate, the dry-up of agriculture is real and certain, and the environmental and economic concerns are serious and numerous,” the report said.

The report also listed several characteristics of “good” water supply projects. For instance, they should have funding and minimize the need for new infrastructure, and they shouldn’t reduce supplies to existing water users, the report said.

Colorado’s river basin roundtables agreed to form the committee after entrepreneur Aaron Million announced a $3 billion pipeline proposal to carry Flaming Gorge Reservoir water to Colorado, and a separate coalition of water providers said it was exploring its own plan. The committee didn’t set out to endorse any proposal but wanted to answer questions about cost, feasibility, water rights and legalities, along with the environmental, socioeconomics, agricultural and recreational impacts of any Flaming Gorge project, among other issues.

Million has yet to gain permits for his project. He said Thursday his team is doing more engineering work after the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission last year dismissed his permit application over a lack of specifics.

More coverage from the Wyoming Business Journal (MJ Clark):

The committee is aware of protests by environmentalists and issues raised by their own constituency.

“Rather than focusing on a Flaming Gorge project, the committee is exploring what the attributes would be of any successful new transmountain diversion,” the group wrote. “And foremost to that discussion is dealing with the uncertainties of water availability under the Colorado River Compact.”

Noting that the staff could not reach an agreement of whether or not to endorse the project, the group concluded that, “At this point, we don’t see the benefit of having the Flaming Gorge Committee continue … unless the board directs otherwise, this will be the direction staff takes.”

More Flaming Gorge Task Force coverage here.