3. Town Hall Meeting
March 11th.
Celebrate…because water is
important for all that we do

4. Town Hall Meeting
March 11th 4
Colorado River Water – Supporting Diverse Land Use
Environment and
Game
Agriculture
Recreation and
Tourism
Industry and
Energy
Municipalities
Grand Junction looking
towards Grand Mesa

5. Town Hall Meeting
March 11th.
Celebrate…because Colorado is
a headwaters state
Snow falls in the mountains Builds as snowpack

6. Town Hall Meeting
March 11th.
Governor Hickenlooper’s Executive Order
What?
• May of 2013….start
• Colorado Water Conservation Board (CWCB)
will coordinate the plan
• Plan will be prepared by the 9 Roundtables
• Draft on CWCB’s desk by July 2014
• Our team were given notice to proceed on
December 11th, 2013
• Plan has to show how we meet the Gap
• Planning horizon is 2050

7. Town Hall Meeting
March 11th
WHY?
• The CWP is an opportunity to allow the
statewide thinking to transition from an
individual perspective to a regional
perspective.

8. Town Hall Meeting
March 11th

10. Town Hall Meeting
March 11th

11. Town Hall Meeting
March 11th.

12. Town Hall Meeting
March 11th.
- 80% of Colorado’s population is on the Front Range.
- 80% of Colorado’s precipitation falls on the Western
Slope.

13. Town Hall Meeting
March 11th.
And drains in the spring and summer.
Nourishing 19 states and Mexico

14. Town Hall Meeting
March 11th.
1922 Compact:
Upper Basin states must “not cause the flow of
the River at Lee Ferry to be depleted below an
aggregate of 75,000,000 acre feet in any 10
consecutive years.”

15. Town Hall Meeting
March 11th15
Colorado River
Compact
• Senate Bill-122 study
underway to determine risk of
continued water development
includes other basins feeding
greater Colorado basin
Lake Powell has been our
savings account for the
compact

16. Town Hall Meeting
March 11th.
Future imbalances between supply and demand, as projected by
the US Bureau of Reclamation, could exacerbate current stresses

17. Town Hall Meeting
March 11th.
Lake Powell Elevations

18. Town Hall Meeting
March 11th.

19. Town Hall Meeting
March 11th

20. Town Hall Meeting
March 11th.
COLORADO BASIN’S
PREDICAMENT
•The 80/20 problem
•Existing Stresses
•Future Stresses

21. Town Hall Meeting
March 11th.
Threats, Challenges, Issues
• Compact Calls
• Transbasin diversions
• Endangered Species
• Growth Separation of land use and water
planning
• Energy
• Shoshone Call
• Loss of Agriculture
• Climate Change

22. Town Hall Meeting
March 11th.
Existing Stresses
Headwaters: Low, Flat Flows
 Flows reduced by transmountain diversions.
 Ecosystem impacts: degraded habitat for fish, riparian
vegetation
 Economic impacts: impediment to growth, tourism
Middle section: Flows depend on Shoshone
Call
 Water quality concerns: natural gas drilling, saline springs
 Rapid population growth
Lower section: Flows depend on Cameo,
Shoshone
 Salts and selenium leach into river when water percolates
through soils.
 Less high-mountain water makes river saltier.

23. Town Hall Meeting
March 11th.

24. Town Hall Meeting
March 11th.
Full report available at:
http://www.nwccog.org/index.php/programs/water-qualityquantity-committee/
Figures from report “Water and its Relationship to the Economies of the Headwaters
Counties,” commissioned by the Northwest Colorado Council of governments.

25. Town Hall Meeting
March 11th.

26. Town Hall Meeting
March 11th.
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90% Agriculture
Municipal/Dome
stic
Recreation/Fishe
ries
Industrial/Comm
ercial
Augmentation
Recharge
Water Deliveries in Colorado
Source: Colorado Division of Water Resources/Water College Program “Water 101”

27. Town Hall Meeting
March 11th

28. Town Hall Meeting
March 11th.28
PALISADE
GRAND
JUNCTION
GLENWOOD
SPRINGS BASALT
VAIL
GRANBY
DILLON
ASPEN
EAGLE
GRAND
GARFIELD
MESA
PITKIN
SUMMIT
ROUTT
EAGLE
County
2000
Population
2030
Population
Increase in
Population
2000 to
2030
Percent
Change
2000 to
2030
Percent
Annual
Growth
Rate
Eagle 43,300 86,900 43,600 101 2.3
Garfield* 43,800 119,900 76,100 274 5.2
Grand 12,900 28,800 15,900 123 2.7
Mesa* 116,250 220,600 104,350 190 3.8
Pitkin 15,900 27,200 11,300 71 1.8
Summit 25,700 50,400 24,700 96 2.3
TOTAL 248,000 492,600 244,600 99 2.3
Colorado Basin
Population Projections
Population doubling
Fastest growing
basin in Colorado
Ref: SWSI and
*AGNC
KREMMLING
RIFLE

29. Colorado Basin Roundtable tasks:
 Assess internal needs & identify projects to meet
them
 Negotiate how to meet state needs.

30. Town Hall Meeting
March 11th.
Shoshone
Source: Western History/Genealogy Department, Denver Public Library

33. Colorado is facing a “Gap”

34. Conservation Ag to Urban
Transfers
New Projects
(Colorado Basin
development)
How can we fill the gap?
Already planned projects (Windy Gap firming, Moffat Collection System)
+
Graphics provided by the Colorado Foundation for Water
Education
The Governor wants a draft plan by the end of 2014 & a final plan by the end
of 2015.

35. Town Hall Meeting
March 11th
PLT Themes
• Need for Multi-Purpose Projects
• Land Use Connection with Water Use
• Healthy Rivers
• Local Control
• Protect Main-stem Water Right Operations
• Regional cooperation needed
• The importance of Saving Agriculture

36. Town Hall Meeting
March 11th

37. Town Hall Meeting
March 11th

38. Town Hall Meeting
March 11th

39. Town Hall Meeting
March 11th

40. Town Hall Meeting
March 11th

41. Town Hall Meeting
March 11th

43. Roaring Fork Watershed Issues
• Ruedi Reservoir
• RICD’s
• Non consumptive Critical Reaches
• Crystal Valley
• PSOP
• Pre 22 water rights
• More regional cooperation is needed
• Roaring Fork River Water Council
• A focus on conservation will increase
• Prepare for Compact Call and Drought

44. Public Outreach
• Nonconsumptive
– Recovery Program, Conservation Rep. for the Recovery Program Implementation Team
– Bureau of Reclamation
– Colorado Parks and Wildlife
– Denver Water
– Roaring Fork Conservancy
– Bureau of Land Management
– United States Forest Service
– Eagle River Water and Sanitation District
– Eagle River Watershed Council
– Nonconsumptive Roundtable Representatives
• Consumptive
– Water provider interviews (Grand, Pitkin, Garfield, Summit)
– Water provider interviews in Eagle County, Mesa County March
– Roaring Fork Watershed Collaborative Meeting (January 23)
– Roaring Fork Water Efficiency Group (January 28)
• Agricultural
– NRCS Ag Days (January 29)
– Rancher/Farmer individual mtgs
– Colorado River District-Colorado River Water Supply and Demand Study

45. Public Outreach
• Colorado Mesa University
• AGNC
• SEO office (current and former staff)
• NWCOG (March 13th)
• Water Attorneys
• Mid Valley Metropolitan District
• Roaring Fork Water and Sanitation District
• Kiwanis
• Summit County Trout Unlimited March 18th
• Summit County Town Hall Meeting March 26th

46. Town Hall Meeting
March 11th
What would you like to include
in Colorado’s Water Plan?

47. Town Hall Meeting
March 11th.
Water Development and growth
will not stop in 2050!!
• We would like to hear from you!
• Questions?
Thank You

48. Town Hall Meeting
March 11th.

49. Town Hall Meeting
March 11th.
Constraints on water use:
Colorado Water Law
Colorado River Basin Compact

50. Town Hall Meeting
March 11th.Map Source: Colorado River District Website
Did you know
that these
projects
account for
over 25% of
Colorado's
total use of
the Colorado
River?

51. Town Hall Meeting
March 11th.
How water is used in
Colorado:
 86.5 % Agriculture
 6.7% Municipal
 3% Recreation, fisheries & in-stream flows (legally
dedicated for those purposes – much more is used
recreationally on the way to other uses).
 1.9% Commercial, Industrial and Institutional
 1.9% Augmentation and replacement of
groundwater in shallow aquifers.
Source: Statistics on water deliveries provided by the Colorado State Engineer’s
Office to the Colorado Foundation for Water Education in 2002.

52. Assessing “Nonconsumptive Needs”
WHAT IS A NON-CONSUMPTIVE WATER USE?
WATER THAT SUPPORTS:
•RIPARIAN PROCESSES AND FLOODPLAIN FUNCTIONS
•AESTHETICSAND QUALITY OF LIFE
•RECREATION
•FISH AND WILDLIFE RESOURCES
WITHOUT CONSUMING ANY OF IT

53. Town Hall Meeting
March 11th

54. Town Hall Meeting
March 11th

55. Town Hall Meeting
March 11th
Problem # 3
• Do we care if we save Agriculture?
• How do we save Agriculture?

57. Town Hall Meeting
March 11th
Roundtable Meeting BIP Schedule
• December 11
– Notice to proceed from CWCB
• December 30th
– Goals and measurable outcomes
– Explain the GAP
– Constraints and opportunities
• January 27
– Evaluate current Basin Operation
and hydrology
• February 24
– Projects and Methods
• March 24
– Projects and Methods
• April 28
– Implementation Strategies
• May 26
– How does plan meet our
Goals/White Paper
• June 23
– Check in with CBRT
• July 15
– Draft BIP due to CWCB by July 15
• July through December 2014
– CWCB will take 9 plans and mold
into CWP. Draft on Governors
Desk December 2014

58. Town Hall Meeting
March 11th
Water Provider Interview
Themes
• Excellent, and comprehensive legal water supply
portfolio’s on an individual basis
• Physical Water Supply Planning based upon firm yield in
dry year…based upon historical hydrology.
• Not enough thought to drought, Climate change, future
uncertainty and land use
• Physical supplies have not been given the same level of
hierarchy of legal, paper, augmentation water?
• Where ever that 240% growth will occur will impact you!

59. Town Hall Meeting
March 11th
Water Provider Interviews?
• Plans are very reliant upon Augmentation Storage and exchanges!
• Future storage is required and needs to be above supply….not just
augmentation storage. Why?
– Reliant upon stream flows
– Uncertainty
– Land Use changes
– Climate changes
– Extended droughts beyond historical averages
– Customers are very engaged with in-stream flows
• Under current regulatory climate future reservoirs very expensive and can
not be done by any one entity.
• No discussion of regional projects
• Not focused on Compact Call implications!

60. Town Hall Meeting
March 11th
Non Consumptive Themes
• A focus on protecting and improving critical reaches
• Would like to see better models to understand impact to
stream flow from future consumptive and non
consumptive projects
• Protect and improve water quality
• Preserve Recreational Flows
• Protect trout, warm water fish, aquatic environment,
recreational reaches
• Improve Adaptive management process
• Restore native species along Colorado River
• Improve point source and non point source water quality

61. Town Hall Meeting
March 11th
Agriculture PLT Themes
• Reduce Agricultural Water Shortages
– Explore opportunities to rehab. existing reservoirs
– Explore Multi-Benefit reservoirs
• Improve land use policy to reduce Ag to municipal
transfers
• Agricultural Production Incentives
• Reduce the potential for Trans-mountain Diversions
• Agricultural Education and involvement
• Efficiency/Preservation/Conservation

62. Town Hall Meeting
March 11th
Grand Valley Irrigators
• Statement of Position
– Continuation of Colorado Water Law including prior
appropriations
– Oppose Federal and State Mandates on GVIC water rights
– Support Barriers to efficient wise innovative use of Ag
Water
– Pursue common interests with municipal partners
– Resist new diversions or River flow proposals which would
negatively impact Grand Valley
– Encourage Market Based solutions
– Seek Permanent solution to Shoshone Power Call
– Recognize that “New Supply” Options would result in
unacceptable impacts to GV

63. Town Hall Meeting
March 11th.

66. Town Hall Meeting
March 11th.

68. Town Hall Meeting
March 11th.
The Colorado River Basin is still in a drought

69. Town Hall Meeting
March 11th.
Public Outreach
• Facebook
– Go to your Facebook page; type in Colorado
Basin Implementation Plan in Search.
– In two days we are up to 273 followers
– Once you are on BIP page go to friends and
invite your friends to like this page.
• Web Page
http://www.coloradobip.sgm-inc.com
• Twitter Feed @ColoBIP

70. Town Hall Meeting
March 11th
• Thanks for the opportunity to have a
conversation!
Questions??

71. Town Hall Meeting
March 11th.
Colorado Basin Planning Cycle
Vision of what
CBRT can and
should
accomplish
Inventory &
conclusions of
existing
reports
Constraints &
opportunities
-Water
administration
- Current & future
shortages
Projects &
methods to
meet
objectives
Implementation
strategies
Has BIP met
objectives &
measurable
outcomes?
Public
Involvement
Public
Involvement

72. Town Hall Meeting
March 11th
Why?
• Statewide Municipal demands are estimated to increase from 975,000 AFY to
1,360,000 AFY by year 2035. This is an addl 383,000 AFY
• With passive water conservation 2050 statewide M & I water demands will range
from 1.5 to 1.8 AFY
• By 2050 Colorado will need between 538,000 and 812,000 AFY additional water to
meet M&I demands.
• Passive conservation savings will result in 154,000 AFY reduction Statewide or just
over 8% decrease in M&I water demands for 2050 for the medium demand scenario.
• For the Colorado Basin the 2008 AFY water demand was 130,000 AFY
– In 2050 low 270,000 med 290,000 high 330,000 no passive conservation
– In 2050 low 200,000 med 260,000 high 300,000 with passive conservation
• M&I and SSI demands for the Colorado Basin in 2008 is 68,480 AFY
– In 2035 111,240
– In 2050 low 129,000 med 149,000 high 179,440

73. Town Hall Meeting
March 11th
Conveyance System Improvements
• Canal Lining
• Intake improvements
• New Technology Rubicon

74. Town Hall Meeting
March 11th
Transfers
• Rotational Fallowing
• Super Ditch

75. Town Hall Meeting
March 11th
Irrigation Efficiency Programs
• Conversion to sprinklers in lieu of Flood
Irrigation
• What happens with water rights?
• Return flows
• Is this really more efficient…..CU versus
Diversions
• Can’t harm downstream juniors
• How do you shepherd this water downstream

76. Town Hall Meeting
March 11th

77. Town Hall Meeting
March 11th.
2050 Water Needs
Low Med High
Basin [AF] [AF] [AF]
Colorado Basin 64,447 81,470 111,175
Eagle County 10,102 14,036 20,156
Garfield County 22,455 26,000 33,389
Grand County 4,068 5,156 6,732
Mesa County 14,082 17,529 24,320
Pitkin County 4,745 6,652 9,785
Summit County 8,996 12,097 16,793
Gunnison Basin 16,325 19,169 22,982
Delta County 5,322 5,918 6,677
Gunnison County 1,906 2,737 3,776
Hinsdale County 231 282 345
Mesa County 1,565 1,825 2,313
Montrose County 7,021 7,886 9,062
Ouray County 281 520 807

78. Town Hall Meeting
March 11th.
Governor Hickenlooper’s
Executive Order
What?

79. Town Hall Meeting
March 11th.
Water Provider Interviews Themes?
• Most Water Providers have very complex physical and legal water right
plans!
• Future projects were not captured in SWSI
• Plans are very reliant upon Augmentation Storage and exchanges!
• Physical Water Supply Planning based upon firm yield in dry year…based
upon historical hydrology.
• Future storage is required and needs to be above supply….not just
augmentation storage. Why?
– Reliant upon stream flows
– Uncertainty
– Land Use changes
– Climate changes
– Extended droughts beyond historical averages
– Customers are very engaged with in-stream flows
• Under current regulatory climate future reservoirs very expensive and can
not be done by any one entity.
• No discussion of regional projects
• Not focused on Compact Call implications!

80. Town Hall Meeting
March 11th.
Colorado Colorado River Water Conservation District, Denver Water Wolford Reservoir Enlargement 2,000 $1,800,000 6,500
Colorado
Colorado River Water Conservation District, Denver Water, City of
Aurora, Eagle River Water and Sanitation District, Northern
Colorado Water Conservancy District, Upper Eagle Regional Water
Authority
Wolcott Reservoir 25,000 $60,000,000 100,000
Colorado Upper Colorado River Basin Study (UPCO) Grand County M&I 2,400 $25,000,000
Colorado Upper Colorado River Basin Study (UPCO)
Summit County M&I and
Environmental
9,900
Colorado Dillon and Silverthorne Old Dillon Reservoir Expansion $7,000,000 286
Colorado Ute Water Conservancy District Hunter Reservoir Enlargement 1,200 $5,000,000 1,200
Colorado Town of Eagle Water Rights Acquisition 369
Colorado Town of Silt Water Rights Acquisition 160
Colorado Town of Silt Reudi Contracts 217
Colorado City of Aspen Conservation 270
Colorado City of Aspen
Golf Course Reuse/West Aspen
Reclaimed Project
540
Colorado Town of New Castle
Ag Transfer Water Rights Dedication
Policy
3,300
Gunnison Upper Gunnison River Water Conservancy District
Plan for augmentation for non-
agricultural purposes using Aspinall
Unit
500
Gunnison Upper Gunnison River Water Conservancy District Reservoirs on Cochetopa Crrek 500
Gunnison
Mt.Crested Butte and the Upper Gunnison River Water
Conservancy District
Augmentation Storage for Mt.
Crested Butte
400 $6,000,000
Gunnison
Upper Gunnison River Water Conservancy District and Hinsdale
County Commissioners
Lake San Cristobal water
development
950 $9,000,000

81. Governor Hickenlooper’s Executive Order
Why?
1. The Gap between water supply and demand is
real….500,000 AFY
2. Drought conditions will hasten impact of Gap
3. Current rate of transfer of water rights from Ag
is unacceptable
4. Can not separate Water Quantity and Water
Quality….need to address conjunctively
5. Interstate Issues pressing
6. Front Range would like to see a new supply
project

82. Colorado’s 9 Roundtables
1. Arkansas
2. Colorado
3. Gunnison
4. Metro
5. North Platte
6. Rio Grande
7. South Platte
8. Southwest
9. Yampa/White

84. Our population is
increasing but there’s
no new water.
Many uses
compete for a
scarce and limited
water supply.
Municipal &
Industrial
9%
Agriculture
86%
Recreation
Environment
Graphics provided by the Colorado Foundation for Water

85. Town Hall Meeting
March 11th
Policy PLT Themes
• Would like other PLT’s to guide efforts
• Eliminate inconsistency in Water Right administration
between Divisions
• How to allow donation for in-stream flow without running
the gauntlet
• Set the rules of the game for compact curtailment now
• Establish rainy day fund for compact curtailment
• Make connection between land/water use but not at
expense of local control
• Find balance between local control and State control
• How do you share risk in case of compact curtailment

86. Town Hall Meeting
March 11th.
Governor Hickenlooper’s Executive Order
What?
• May of 2013….start
• Colorado Water Conservation Board (CWCB)
will coordinate the plan
• Plan will be prepared by the 9 Roundtables
• Draft on CWCB’s desk by July 2014
• Our team were given notice to proceed on
December 11th, 2013
• Plan has to show how we meet the Gap
• Planning horizon is 2050

87. Town Hall Meeting
March 11th
Roundtable Meeting BIP Schedule
• December 11
– Notice to proceed from CWCB
• December 30th
– Goals and measurable outcomes
– Explain the GAP
– Constraints and opportunities
• January 27
– Evaluate current Basin Operation
and hydrology
• February 24
– Projects and Methods
• March 24
– Projects and Methods
• April 28
– Implementation Strategies
• May 26
– How does plan meet our
Goals/White Paper
• June 23
– Check in with CBRT
• July 15
– Draft BIP due to CWCB by July 15
• July through December 2014
– CWCB will take 9 plans and mold
into CWP. Draft on Governors
Desk December 2014

88. Town Hall Meeting
March 11th
Consumptive PLT Themes
• Need for Multi-Purpose Reservoirs
– Money and regulatory issues are constraints (Fens)
– Enlarge existing and
• Need modeling capabilities
• Water Court concerns (pros and cons)
• Better clarity of Hierarchy of Water Use
• Land Use Connection with Water Use
• Aging Infrastructure and true cost of water
• Protect Main-stem Water Right Operations
• Regional cooperation needed

89. Town Hall Meeting
March 11th
Water Provider Interview
Themes
• Excellent, and comprehensive legal water supply
portfolio’s on an individual basis
• Physical Water Supply Planning based upon firm yield in
dry year…based upon historical hydrology.
• Not enough thought to drought, Climate change, future
uncertainty and land use
• Physical supplies have not been given the same level of
hierarchy of legal, paper, augmentation water?
• Where ever that 240% growth will occur will impact you!

90. Town Hall Meeting
March 11th
Water Provider Interviews?
• Plans are very reliant upon Augmentation Storage and exchanges!
• Future storage is required and needs to be above supply….not just
augmentation storage. Why?
– Reliant upon stream flows
– Uncertainty
– Land Use changes
– Climate changes
– Extended droughts beyond historical averages
– Customers are very engaged with in-stream flows
• Under current regulatory climate future reservoirs very expensive and can
not be done by any one entity.
• No discussion of regional projects
• Not focused on Compact Call implications!

91. Town Hall Meeting
March 11th
Non Consumptive Themes
• A focus on protecting and improving critical reaches
• Would like to see better models to understand impact to
stream flow from future consumptive and non
consumptive projects
• Protect and improve water quality
• Preserve Recreational Flows
• Protect trout, warm water fish, aquatic environment,
recreational reaches
• Improve Adaptive management process
• Restore native species along Colorado River
• Improve point source and non point source water quality

92. Town Hall Meeting
March 11th
Agriculture PLT Themes
• Reduce Agricultural Water Shortages
– Explore opportunities to rehab. existing reservoirs
– Explore Multi-Benefit reservoirs
• Improve land use policy to reduce Ag to municipal
transfers
• Agricultural Production Incentives
• Reduce the potential for Trans-mountain Diversions
• Agricultural Education and involvement
• Efficiency/Preservation/Conservation

93. Town Hall Meeting
March 11th
Grand Valley Irrigators
• Statement of Position
– Continuation of Colorado Water Law including prior
appropriations
– Oppose Federal and State Mandates on GVIC water rights
– Support Barriers to efficient wise innovative use of Ag
Water
– Pursue common interests with municipal partners
– Resist new diversions or River flow proposals which would
negatively impact Grand Valley
– Encourage Market Based solutions
– Seek Permanent solution to Shoshone Power Call
– Recognize that “New Supply” Options would result in
unacceptable impacts to GV

94. Town Hall Meeting
March 11th.