Future Water NEWS FROM THE COLORADO RIVER DISTRICT

The Colorado River District: Protecting the River Why Irrigated Ag Defines Water in the West The Link Between Lake Powell and Local Water Use How the ‘Law of the River’ Governs the Colorado Meet the Colorado River District Board of Directors Future Water NEWS FROM THE COLORADO RIVER DISTRICT Adapting to the new realities in the Colorado River Basin. April 2018 Inside this Issue

Welcome to this new style of an annual report from the Colorado River District. It is designed to be a comprehensive overview of Colorado River water issues and the District’s work to address them. As always, details of our programs, financials and more can be found at ColoradoRiverDistrict.org.

Tom Alvey discusses the importance of agriculture in the new era of growing population, drought and increased water Black Canyon of the Gunnison River demands in the West. PAGE Our mission: To lead in the protection, conservation, use and 4 development of the water resources of the Colorado River Basin for the welfare of the District, and to safeguard for Colorado all waters of the Colorado River to which the state is entitled. Ag & Shoshone Hydro Water Rights Why they are important for western 201 Centennial St., Glenwood Springs, CO 81601 Colorado River District Staff (970) 945-8522 Colorado. Wyoming PAGE The Colorado River District Colorado. We own and operate Hunter Causey Don Meyer protects western Colorado Wolford Mountain Reservoir in 6 Water Resources Engineer Senior Water Resources Engineer water resources on behalf of Grand County in conjunction Sonja Chavez Martha Moore Utah the 500,000 people in northwest with our partner, Denver Water. Water Resources Specialist Public Affairs Specialist and west central Colorado west In 2006, we completed expansion

of the Continental Divide. The of Elkhead Reservoir in north- Big River Issues How close are we to the John Currier Andy Mueller Nevada Colorado impending Drought Contingency Plans? Chief Engineer General Manager Colorado River District was west Colorado. founded in 1937, in part, to be Kem Davidson Lorra Nichols PAGE Project Caretaker Paralegal the watchdog of Colorado River Additionally, the Colorado River diversions across the Rocky District controls water in various Laurie DePaolo Ian Philips California Arizona New Mexico Mountains to the east. other reservoirs to support 8 Executive Assistant Chief Accountant West Slope people, industry, Jack DeSanti Jim Pokrandt Today our role continues with agriculture, recreation and the

Project Caretaker Community Affairs Director an urgency surpassing the days environment. We are a public, Looking toward the sky The Colorado Mike Eytel David Smith of our founding. Population governmental entity governed River District runs a cloud-seeding program Senior Water Resources Specialist Engineer Tech growth, drought and climate by a Board of Directors, one Mexico to improve snowpack. Peter Fleming Meredith Spyker change promise the coming years Director from each of our 15 General Counsel Administrative Assistant will bear many more ideas to counties. PAGE move water. Alesha Frederick Ray Tenney Visit our website to learn more about Business Support Specialist Deputy Chief Engineer Property owners within the our work and current water issues. 15 The Colorado River District also District pay a small property Denise Hussain Chris Treese watches to the west, to Lake tax to support our mission. Our Records Administrator/ External Affairs Manager www.ColoradoRiverDistrict.org Information Specialist Powell, Lake Mead and how six District includes all of the lands Eric Kuhn explains how we govern the Audrey Turner other states and the Republic of of Moffat, Rio Blanco, Mesa, Dave Kanzer Administrative Chief mighty Colorado in his historical view of Deputy Chief Engineer Mexico compete to use Colorado Delta, Ouray, Garfield, Gunnison, the ‘Law of the River.’ Jason Turner River water. Pitkin, Summit, Eagle, Grand Zane Kessler PAGE Senior Counsel and Routt Counties as well as Communications Director Luci Wilson The Colorado River District portions of Hinsdale, Montrose 20 Eric Kuhn Accountant holds and develops water rights and Saguache Counties. Former General Manager for the benefit of western

2 3 Tom Alvey Q&A President of the Colorado River District (CRD) Board and Director for 11 years What are the top threats to western Colorado water? world we live in has been created by the efforts of those who put Western Colorado’s agricultural importance in the era of population Upstream, downstream and decay in the middle. The Front Range water to beneficial use. It’s a pretty admirable world. growth, drought and new demands on our water supplies remains convinced that there is more water available on the West Slope for their use. The Lower Basin still uses more water than What are the top opportunities? All these threats create Where do you live? For 40 years, I’ve lived with Reclamation’s salinity-control grants to achieve some spectac- it its entitlement under the Colorado River Compact. Our water opportunities for greater understanding and collaboration. This is a and worked on Rogers Mesa in Delta County. ular infrastructure improvement projects. Throughout Delta County, infrastructure is aging and needs modernization. Another threat critical time in western water management and the River District is the River District has provided leadership in creatively improving is the lack of understanding from our own residents about the well constituted to provide continued leadership and guidance to the What do you do? I operate an orchard growing organic apri- our water-delivery systems. And that does not include the huge inter-relation between water and community. When the Colora- development of new paradigms. cots, peaches and apples, and manage a packing shed for myself benefits and influence the District has in terms of “Big River” issues do Water Plan calls for and other growers. We sell fruit to most of the major retailers on that impact us all on the West Slope in regard to Lake Powell and Stream Management What will western Colorado look like in 50 years? the Front Range – King Soopers, Whole Foods, Natural Grocers relations with the other six states in the Colorado River basin. I hope it will look something like it does today. I am a conservative and Sprouts. in the old sense – I want to conserve that which we have and pre- What are the CRD’s top priorities? Maintaining our serve the qualities of life in western Colorado. If in 50 years we still Other affiliations in water? I am President of the North historic water uses and the community of activities and interests have viable irrigated agriculture and a similar mix of small towns, Fork Water Conservancy District (Paonia Reservoir is our main that have grown up around them — irrigated agriculture, towns and recreational uses and a healthy environment and economy, the River responsibility), Vice President of the Leroux Creek Water Users As- communities, recreation and the environment. To this end, I want District will have done its job. sociation (small reservoirs and irrigation/municipal distribution) and to mention the River District’s 2017 top priority, which was to do President of Ellington Ditch Company (mutual ditch and irrigation the impossible — replace the irreplaceable Eric Kuhn as General What else would you like CRD constituents to distribution). Manager. Eric shaped the River know? The River District Board is composed of representatives District into the respected authority from each of the 15 counties in the District and each Board member How did you get involved on Colorado Basin issues that it is takes their position seriously. This is a hard-working Board that val- with western water? and provided a great environment for ues input from the citizens of the District. So we’d like to hear from You can’t farm in western Colorado the development of a top-level staff. Plans (SMP) and then focuses on only the environmental and rec- you if there’s something you think needs our attention. without being involved with water. We thank him for all he has done. We reational parts of stream management, this is a problem. Human It is not optional. In small irrigation are now welcoming his replacement, use of streams is part of the environment and irrigators and water companies there is always the need Andy Mueller, who we think is a rights must be considered in any management plan. There is a for new help (fresh meat!), so the great addition and a great advocate tendency to separate the needs of the environment from the needs first year we started growing fruit for West Slope water. of the people who live there, a tendency to create an “either-or” I also became part of “reservoir confrontation between water users and environmental bene- management 101” for our local water Moving forward, the River Dis- fits — to see irrigators as the enemy company. I’ve been involved ever trict will continue to protect our of healthy streams. SMPs can’t look since and always intrigued by the interplay between community and water rights and streamflows, balancing the need for development at only environment and recreation- water. Water users are the most self-reliant people I’ve ever known. against the threat of overuse. The River District must try to develop al values — they must also consider consensus on methods for sharing any risk from water shortages the ownership of water rights and the What role does the CRD play in your operations/ caused by either climate change or diversions. It is vital that West value and community that has grown community? The River District has had a huge influence on our Slope agriculture not be the target for any plan to ensure municipal up around these uses. The stream is not community through the efforts of staff, namely Dave Kanzer and water supply or safety from compact curtailment threats. The River separate from the people that live near Sonja Chavez, but certainly including Eric Kuhn, Peter Fleming District must continue to educate, be a leader in thinking about ag it; they are part of the ecosystem that and others. Our largest water supply in the North Fork Valley is the efficiency, advancing the Colorado River Risk Study, evaluating must be protected. It does no good to Paonia Project and it is a Bureau of Reclamation project. The River the consequences of drought, exploring demand management and advocate for healthy streams without District has been vital in helping us deal with the Bureau — know- promoting our role in implementing the Colorado Water Plan. It is healthy communities. The environmen- ing the ins and outs of getting things done on the government level vitally important that our constituents know about this work on their tal and recreational values we seek to as well as advocating for funding from the Colorado River Storage behalf. And the River District must continue to operate reservoirs, enhance have arisen from the mix of Project’s hydropower revenues to rehabilitate our aging dam. In litigate against threats to our water, improve our water infrastructure uses currently practiced —improved addition, the River District has pioneered the use of federal Regional and provide legislative leadership. stream flows, wetlands, better fisheries Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) funds in combination and habitat provided by ranches. This

4 5 Why the Colorado River District Andy Mueller Q&A In January 2018, Mueller became the fifth General Manager in the District’s 80-plus year history is concerned about irrigated agriculture and Shoshone Hydro Balancing multiple uses in Colorado’s new water era natural condition was for water courses to fall solutions will be appropriate for every geo- What was your previous line of politics, changing climate and changing needs information and education related to our priori- It’s about maintaining flows for off to very low flows, if not trickles after the graphic area. work? I practiced law in Ouray and then in order to protect our communities. ties. The best defense of western Colorado wa- the environment, drinking water, gushing spring runoff. Glenwood Springs for 23 years representing a ter is an informed citizenry. This information is wastewater treatment and For western Colorado, the broader principle is wide variety of West Slope families and closely What are the top threats to west- also important to get in front of political lead- recreation. We play on that water. What’s more, irrigation water conveyances to preserve directional control of the river for held entities in natural resource-related matters. ern Colorado water? Additional ers and policy-makers in Colorado and across and return flow ditches have fostered their It’s about preserving culture, econo- West Slope uses, to protect working land- While doing that work, I was appointed by the possible diversions of water to the Front Range the entire Colorado River basin. Information own ecosystems of plantlife and wildlife. Ouray County Commissioners as their Director and the overuse of the Colorado River in the is power, and with the proper development of my, food production, wildlife habitat scapes, food production, the natural environ- and beautiful, working landscapes. Irrigation itself has raised the water table in on the Colorado River District Board. I served Lower Basin, compounded with the impacts of data and sound science, we can lead a realistic, ment and the recreational opportunities we many places, bolstering crop yields. from 2006-2015. climate change. collaborative discussion on these issues that know today. will lead to innovative solutions to protect the These are the reasons why the Colorado River At the time, why did you seek vitality of our communities on the West Slope. Return flows are the new base flows upon membership on the CRD Board? It is through informed collaboration among all District invests a lot of resources focused on That’s why the Colorado River which water users, recreationists, wildlife and I felt that protecting western Colorado’s who depend upon the Colorado River that we protecting irrigated agriculture. These are District puts so much energy into the environment depend. water resources was vital to the economic understanding irrigated agricul- will best protect our constituents. the reasons why the Colorado River and environmental vitality of this side of the ture and ways to modern- District, with its many western Colorado Continental Divide – and really vital for all of What will western Colorado look ize it that are appropriate. partners, has made it a policy objective Colorado. It was an opportunity to engage in like in 50 years? We will more than dou- That’s why preservation of to preserve the flows perpetuated by the public service in a meaningful way. ble in population; it will be warmer; winters the Shoshone Hydro Plant will be shorter; we will have less snow and Shoshone Hydro Plant water rights in flows in Glenwood Canyon What role did you see the CRD more rain. We will continue to have a vibrant Glenwood Canyon. is a top priority. These are playing in your community? agricultural community, which will be highly two of the important ways The CRD primarily was seen as an advoca- valued by our growing municipal population. It’s all because the water rights associ- we work to protect western cy organization that served to protect our Our recreation industry will be a major force ated with agriculture and the Shoshone Colorado water. community’s interest on water issues and as a throughout the West Slope. Our water users plant, in the case of the Colorado resource for information related to Colorado will have found many ways to adapt their wa- River basin issues. mainstem, are senior, pulling water to ter use and will be significantly more efficient. We will have figured out many ways to use less the west that might otherwise be pulled Why did you answer the GM ad? Colorado Transbasin Diversions water to continue to thrive economically. The to the east through transmountain I saw it as an opportunity to engage in full-time West Slope will continue to be an attractive diversions that provide Colorado River public service while utilizing my problem- place to live and call home. water to the Front Range. solving and management skills developed in 23 years of practicing law. I was attracted to the What else would you like CRD Other basins, such as the Yampa, White, possibility of being able to devote my efforts constituents to know? I am honored full time to the mission of the CRD and the to have the opportunity to serve them in this Green and the Gunnison, don’t face the east- opportunity to work with and lead the highly position and to advocate on their behalf for west tug of war for Colorado River system qualified, dedicated and intelligent staff. the protection of water resources on the West Settlement of the West has created a new Central Arizona Project Canal water — at least not yet. They don’t have Slope. I look forward to getting to know our environment, and at its center is irrigated transmountain diversions, in part because of What are the CRD’s top priorities The Lower Basin states have an historic addic- constituents better and assisting our diverse ag. If it were to wholesale be taken away the Colorado River District’s vigilance. But for western Colorado? Protecting the tion to overuse of the waters of the Colorado communities in finding common interest in irrigated ag is a common denominator. from the landscape, the consequences ability of western Colorado to use its water River, which must be reduced to their Colorado pursuing the common goal of protection of would be catastrophic. resources to meet all of our needs in an effi- River Compact allocation. Increasing tem- our water resources. It is important that we cient and cost-effective manner. Our diverse peratures have meant — and will mean — respect the different perspectives and values When water is applied to the land, about economy on the West Slope means that we increasingly longer growing seasons, smaller within our District, and it is important that half of it is consumed by plant life and the As population grows and as snowpack is need to protect our constituents’ ability to use snowpack, earlier runoff and less water in the we continue to speak as a unified voice in pro- atmosphere; the other half finds its way back reduced by warming temperatures, all uses of water for agricultural, recreational, municipal, river. tecting our water resources. to rivers, creeks and streams. These are called the Colorado River must be carefully balanced. industrial and environmental purposes. The Colorado River is a finite resource governed by What are the top opportunities? return flows and these return flows bolster Technology will have its place in working out a complex series of agreements, rules and laws. Our biggest opportunity is to develop and ef- stream levels in the late summer and fall. solutions, whether in agriculture or municipal Our District must be out in front of changing fectively disseminate unbiased water-resource Before irrigation took hold in the West, the use. So will political will. However, not all

6 7 The four headwaters states have had DCP DCP Big River Issues informal discussions on this topic and in the Upper Basin. in the Lower Basin. For more than 80 years, the Colorado In the Upper Basin states, DCP efforts will approach the low elevation mark of 1,025 a number of suggestions have surfaced, Drought Contingency Plan Drought Contingency Plan River District has served as Colorado’s likely include special drought operations of feet above sea level.” including the concept of legislation that primary water policy and planning efforts would include special is triggered when levels in the Colorado River Storage Project (CRSP) would direct the Secretary of the Interior agency for the water resources of the drought operations of the Lake Mead fall below1,075’ Colorado River and its tributaries in system reservoirs – Flaming Gorge, Implementing the Lower Basin DCP to operate the upstream Colorado River Colorado. And the challenges that led Aspinall and Navajo. Efforts could also would likely require federal legislation, Storage Project units to protect water (CRSP) system reservoirs triggering restrictions of to the creation of the River District in include a focus on system augmentation, or but the three states are not in total levels at Lake Powell. –Flaming Gorge, Aspinall water delivery 1937 remain relevant today. “cloud seeding,” and further planning for agreement on this front. (Blue Mesa Reservoir) to Arizona, California An arid climate and an imbalanced demand management strategies that could and Navajo. and Nevada. population, where most people in Colorado reduce consumptive uses if total system “A legislative approach would be live on the drier, eastern side of the state, reservoir levels reach critically low levels. preferable for some,” Kuhn said. “They continue to drive the District’s efforts to do not want to wade through a formal protect western Colorado water. From the Kuhn noted that there is no formal amendment to the (2007 Interim Continental Divide to the Utah border, the commitment currently by any of the Guidelines for Lower Basin Shortages) that District’s 15 counties produce 70 percent of Upper Basin states to actually implement could take years to renegotiate.” the River’s total water but only contain 10 demand management, but that the states are percent of the state’s population. Thus the committed to continue studying it. Those “Interim Guidelines” were the result Colorado River is eyed as a source for more of a complex, multi-year analysis following diversion of water to eastern Colorado. Demand management would mean reduced a period of extreme drought (2000-2005) water use by agriculture and municipalities in the Colorado River Basin. Lake Powell Certain challenges, however, have with a tool known as water banking. and Lake Mead dropped from nearly full to worsened in recent decades as a result of approximately 46 percent of capacity in that booming populations in the West. And When it comes to the time, which prompted the U.S. Secretary of the Interior to urge the states in the basin to longer, more severe droughts associated Colorado River, history with a changing climate have increased develop guidelines for operations of Lakes concerns related to future water supplies. repeats itself Mead and Powell. The guidelines also call out how the Lower Basin states would take “Our work is more important now than Planning efforts downstream include a shortages at certain, plunging storage levels. ever,” said Andy Mueller, the District’s relatively complicated plan in the Lower Those guidelines are set to expire in 2026. new General Manager, who replaced Basin states, according to Kuhn. “This 22-year GM Eric Kuhn in January 2018 would require additional cutbacks in water The second reason for legislation could upon his retirement. “The new realities consumption by Arizona, California and relate to Arizona’s desire to modify a of water management will require an Nevada if Lake Mead storage levels provision in a 1964 Arizona v. California innovative approach to planning and Supreme Court decision which gave the continued cooperation among water users U.S. Secretary of the Interior the authority throughout the Basin.” to deliver apportioned water not used by one Lower Basin state to another state. In his final presentation as General Manager to the River District’s Board of “Arizona would likely want to change Directors, Kuhn highlighted key issues this to require the Secretary first to have impacting the Colorado River basin. Kuhn, permission of the ‘donating’ state,” said who retired after 37 years of total service, Chris Treese, External Affairs Manager for pointed out that the Upper and Lower Basin the River District. Drought Contingency Planning (DCP) efforts, and concerns regarding lower-than- The possibility of Lower Basin-driven average snowpack in the Upper Basin are legislation raises a political question of what the Upper Division states should ask for in the two examples of the complex issues to Lake Mead finished 2017 at the 1,082’ level, just 7 feet above the trigger point of the Drought Contingency any legislative effort. manage in the months and years to come. Plan for Arizona, California and Nevada.

8 9 Eric Kuhn Q&A Water leader Kuhn retired in January 2018 after 37 years on staff, 22 as General Manager Lower Gunnison Project Modernizing irrigation to sustain agriculture while improving water quality and supplies Building efficiencies to prepare for more population and less snowpack For almost 100 million years, as dinosaurs Agriculture that is leveraging existing Bureau OBJECTIVES of the What was your previous line of the number of people it did in 1981 with only a What are the top threats to west- roamed around what turned out to be the west- of Reclamation salinity-control funding to Lower Gunnison Project work? Before starting with the River District little bit more water use. ern Colorado water? Front Range pop- ern U.S., a large swath of western Colorado create more than $50 million of infrastructure I was going to graduate school and working ulation growth and a search for more water, the 1. Address water quality degradation: Exces- was covered by a shallow inland seaway. After improvement work across target areas in the sive salts in surface waters and groundwaters; for Bechtel Power Corp. as a nuclear startup One of the differences between now and then Lower Basin, climate change and the polar- the waters advanced and finally receded about Gunnison Basin. The work is spread out over engineer. In theory I was working for Bechtel was that in 1981 too many politicians and West ization of Colorado and the West Slope along 2. Increase efficient use of irrigation water; part time, but as a practical matter it was full Slopers still believed that the federal govern- urban versus rural, extraction versus recreation 65 million years ago, the ancient sea bed dried four sub-watersheds and two counties and has time. From my graduation from the University ment, through the Bureau of Reclamation, and quality of life, us versus them, and the and exposed rich, farming-friendly soils. come to be called the Lower Gunnison Project. 3. Improve soil quality: Concentration of salts of New Mexico in May 1972 to August 1978, I would fund and build all our water projects. We haves versus the have nots when it comes to and other chemicals; and was a naval submarine officer. were at the tail end of the “manifest destiny” water supply. Additionally, we really need to First with early Native-Americans and then Deputy Chief Engineer Dave Kanzer and Water 4. Improve wildlife habitat. era. In 1977-78 President Jimmy Carter issued reinvest in the water projects we already have with Anglo-settlement in the late 19th century Resources Specialist Sonja Chavez are working Why did you seek employment at his famous project hit list. President Reagan on the ground. Many of our most important came irrigation and the resulting explosion of with irrigation entities in four focus areas: GOALS of the the CRD? I really didn’t seek out the River was then elected and there was a general belief projects are more than 100 years old. Many, agricultural production in these same locations. Bostwick Park, Uncompahgre Valley, North Lower Gunnison Project District, although I had finished graduate school that he would restore the Bureau of Reclama- many more are 50 to 70 years old. Without Fork of the Gunnison and Crawford Country in December 1980 and was looking at my op- tion to its glory days. The River District had no funds to modernize and rebuild these projects, 1. Reduce selenium loading; But there was a problem. The fertile tions. It was like many things in life, a complete we’ll lose much of what makes western Colo- soils contained high levels of marine 2. Reduce salt loading by expanding accident that I ended up at the River District. rado the wonderful place it is. salinity control efforts; In early 1981 while working for Bechtel I was salts and selenium, most likely from waiting for a fellow employee to finish a phone What are the top opportunities? ancient volcanic eruptions that de- 3. Increase on-farm agricultural posited ash layers into that shallow water use efficiency to enhance water call. While wasting time, I picked up a Wall The River District’s top opportunities are in conservation; Street Journal and by accident saw an advertise- water-use innovation, education and outreach. sea. Previously locked into the shale ment for an Assistant Secretary-Engineer. I tore And we are uniquely positioned to use water rock and soils, irrigation practices 4. Improve, modernize and optimize out the small ad and wrote the District a letter. policy to unite our constituents. irrigation water conveyances to unleashed and mobilized these farms; The rest is history. At the time I knew absolutely chemicals into the river system, to nothing about Colorado water. What will western Colorado look the detriment of sensitive aquatic 5. Integrate updated on- and off- like in 50 years? Warmer, less snow, farm systems to assist agricultural wildlife. What were the CRD’s top priori- more rain, more ethnically diverse, low-cost producers and water providers throughout the focus areas to up­ ties in 1981 and how is that dif- semi-independent renewable energy will rule, grade from flood irrigation systems Now, in the 21st Century, the ferent than today? There are some cars and trucks will drive themselves, but we’ll to high efficiency irrigation systems such as Colorado River District is working with similarities and some differences. One of the still love living on the West Slope. sprinkler, side roll, drip, big gun or micro-ir­ producers to modernize irrigation prac- things that seems to never change is the Front rigation systems, with piped and pressurized tices to abate salt and selenium loading irrigation delivery systems; Range’s quest for water. When I got to the What is next for you post retire- to the watershed and to reduce harmful River District, I was immediately thrown into real wet water but files full of conditional water ment? Travel, finish a book (near future), I concentrations, by funding and manag- 6. Encourage and directly support good the Governor’s Metropolitan Water Roundta- rights – most all waiting to be built as federal still have more than a few bike/hike/ski/river ing comprehensive water-use efficiency conservation planning through the enrollment ble as a West Slope representative. The goal projects. To his great credit my predecessor as raft trips left in me, grandkids. I hope to stay improvements in the Lower Gunnison of a significant number of irrigated acres Basin. in Conservation Activity Plans with a focus of the roundtable was to find a permanent and General Manager, Rolly Fischer, knew better. engaged in Colorado River issues in a positive, on soil health components that improve soil environmentally acceptable solution for the That is one of the reasons he hired me (and primarily educational way. quality (e.g., cover crops, compost mulching, to bring the vision to reality. An Environmen- future water needs of the growing Front Range four years later Dave Merritt as Chief Engi- By piping open ditches and installing cost-ef- nutrient management, and no till or reduced – sound familiar? The process lasted about 5-6 neer). As it turned out – Reagan said he loved What else would you like CRD fective irrigation systems, producers can limit tal Assessment has recently been completed, till management); a necessary step with any federally funded years. One of its failures was that the Front Reclamation projects, but by the way – let’s constituents to know? It has been a the movement of harmful contaminants from 7. Increase agricultural productivity and Range would not accept any solution other jointly finance them and your state and local great honor working for them. I truly believe the soils. Such implementation can also help effort. Projects are being designed with major economics (e.g., decreased labor, fertilizer than Two Forks Reservoir. Two Forks was share is 40 percent. No more projects were I had one of the best and most rewarding jobs increase profitability and sustainability for construction ready for the fall of 2018. pesticide and related input costs); and located on the East Slope, but two-thirds to built except for those already started, or like in the nation. I feel very lucky having spent 37 farming operations. The reasons: more efficient 8. Provide comprehensive environmental three-quarters of its yield would come from the Animas-La Plata, had a tie to an Indian water years on the West Slope. It (almost) always felt infrastructure can decrease water loss into the When combined with enhanced reservoir compliance and critical habitat improvement West Slope. The project split the West Slope rights legal settlement. like an adventure, not a job. (i.e., regulations related to Clean Water Act deep soil, lower input costs and increase pro- operations and enhanced soil health practices, (Summit County supported it). Thank God and Endangered Species Act compliance for the Lower Gunnison Project will increase local President George H.W. Bush vetoed the proj- What are the CRD’s top priorities ductivity. This work creates a win-win-win for selenium). agricultural production, enhance streamflows ect. The good outcomes from the process were today for western Colorado? Meeting water managers and agriculturalists – all while For more information on these and other improve- benefitting the environment. and increase water quality by reducing salinity Wolford Mountain Reservoir that the River the water needs of our very diversified constit- ments within the LGP please visit: and selenium concentrations, thus improving District built in Grand County (originally iden- uents in a rapidly changing world under the www.ColoradoRiverDistrict.org. tified as a “joint-use” reservoir) and additional cloud of uncertainty caused by climate vari- To that end, the River District is managing an river habitat. conservation. Today Denver serves about twice ability (OK – I’m retired I can say “change”). $8 million grant from the U.S. Department of

10 11 Recent Large-Scale Farmland and Water Rights Purchases Spur Concern For Speculation

Recent acquisitions of West Slope farmland and water rights raise the concern that outside interests are actively acquiring West Slope water rights for possible speculative purposes.

“The future has arrived, the future is now,” said Colorado River District General Counsel Peter Fleming in a report to the River District Board.

While speculation in land and water rights is nothing new in the history of Colorado water rights, the recent purchases appear to be keyed on acquisition of pre-Colorado River Compact of 1922 water rights to hold for the present time but perhaps sell to the highest bidder during compact curtailment.

A New York hedge fund called Water Asset Management (through one of its many subsidiaries) acquired a 330-acre farm north of Fruita in mid-September 2017 for $3.83 million, according to a Grand Junction Daily Sentinel newspaper report. The farm is served by the Government-Highline Canal operated by the Grand Valley Water Users Association.

While not a huge farm, that size is among the larger parcels within the Grand Valley Project, served by the Government- Highline Canal. Depending on numerous factors, the associated historical consumptive use could be about 840 acre- feet. In addition, other large West Slope However, it is clear that increasing water agricultural properties have recently been demands, reduced supply and the potential Water Asset Management was featured acquired by investment companies. risk of compact curtailment have put a in a 2016 article in The Atlantic titled more direct focus on West Slope irrigated The River District is engaged with Water “Liquid Assets.” The article is an “To our knowledge, the properties agriculture. Stated another way, reality has Asset Management and others to learn interesting read, Fleming said, and can be continue to be operated as they have caught up with our historical paranoia about more about their interest in West Slope found at: https://www.propublica.org/ historically, and there are no current the acquisition and potential dry-up of West agriculture and water rights. article/can-wall-street-solve-the-water- plans to change the associated water Slope agricultural rights for speculative crisis-in-the-west. rights or move the water off the land,” purposes, Fleming said. Fleming reported.

12 13 Board Awards $150,000 Cloud Seeding to improve supply, efficiency and water quality Augmenting Nature’s Bounty of Snow

The Colorado River District Board of Directors in 2017 awarded Grand Valley Water Users Association in Mesa County, $50,000 $150,000 in grants to support eight water projects as part of an annual for the Government Highline Canal Lining Project; How Cloud Seeding Works effort to assist constituents in developing water supplies and improving Fish and Cross Ranch in Routt County, $25,629 for Phase 2: Pivot and modernizing their water use. Each year, applications open in De- Irrigation Sprinkler Project; cember and awards are made in April. More information can be found at ColoradoRiverDistrict.org. Thompson Glen Ditch Company in Garfield County, $2,673 for inlet structure repair at Glenwood Ditch; and, Grants are made on a cost-sharing basis, with the River District Town of Fraser in Grand County, $18,750 for construction and ow funding typically providing about 25 percent of costs. Projects Fl installation of measuring and recording equipment at Maryvale r must meet one or more of these objectives: Ai Reservoir. 1. Development of a new water supply, 2. Improvement of an existing water supply system, At the April 2017 quarterly board meeting, Tyler Snyder, agri- 3. Measures to improve instream water quality, cultural producer, expressed appreciation on behalf of the Fish 4. Water-use efficiency improvements, and Cross Ranch. “It is helpful to pay back some of the debts 5. Sediment reduction measures, and, we’ve incurred. Efficiency projects are important and even the 6. Implementation of watershed/riparian improvements. repairs of current projects are expensive. I just wanted to come and say thank you,” he said. A solution of silver iodide is vaporized Super cooled water within the cloud Ice crystals grow into snowflakes, falling The 2017 grant awardees: by a propane flame within the condenses and crystalizes around the into the target area and augmenting the Cedar Mesa Ditch Company in Delta County, $6,380 for headgate repair; 1 cloud-seeding generator. dust-sized silver iodide particles. local snowpack that would not otherwise benefit, but for the increased efficiency Eagle River Watershed Council in Eagle County, $9,278 for Ea- Also in attendance was Mark Harris, Grand Valley Water Users of the cloud seeding process. gle-Vail Riparian Enhancement Project #2; Association Manager, who reported that the Government-High- Diagram©Art Burrows/Ajax Design

Roseman Ditch Company in Garfield County, $3,658 for pipe line Canal Lining Project was well underway and noted the For Colorado, the “Mother of Rivers,” high River District, members of the Front Range Cloud seeding and weather modification repair and maintenance; rehabilitation was identified at the top of the Colorado Basin mountain snowpack is critical to the annual Water Council, several ski areas and the is accomplished by “generators” located in Silt Water Conservancy District in Garfield County, $33,362 for Roundtable’s priorities. It also firms up pre-1922 water rights. rebirth of river flows. On the West Slope of Colorado Water Conservation Board, as well key, high-elevation locations. These burners improvements at Harvey Gap Dam; Colorado’s Rocky Mountains, in fact, snow- as by lower Colorado River basin entities vaporize a solution of silver iodide sending pack generates more than 70 percent of the such as the Southern Nevada Water Authority, tiny particles into the clouds at precise times, water supply that feeds the annual flow of the the Metropolitan Water District of Southern influencing super-cooled moisture to freeze Colorado River. However, to have a snow- California and five other members of the around these “nuclei” particles, inducing pack, it has to snow. In recent years, lack of Colorado River Board of California. snowflakes to fall. Absent naturally occur- sufficient snow has led to diminished water ring particles, such as dust, clouds cannot supplies, causing concern among water users condense into snow. Cloud seeding essential- in the Colorado River basin. ly makes more surrogate dust particles and the clouds thereby become more efficient in To increase snowfall and thus river flows, producing snow, under the right conditions. scientists and water managers are turning to cloud seeding, or “weather modification,” Cloud seeding is an important element in to increase snowfall in strategic high-moun- Drought Contingency Planning that is taking The Government Highline Canal Lining Project tain watersheds of the Upper Colorado place across both the Upper and Lower River basin. Basins of the Colorado River. Along with demand management, conservation and water For the last two years, the Colorado River supply management, cloud seeding is an im- District has managed a cooperative, regional Deputy Chief Engineer Dave Kanzer man- portant component of ensuring that Colorado cloud-seeding program to help augment snow ages the program for the River District with remains the healthy mother of a well-man- fall and to increase Colorado River flows. assistance from a contract project manager and aged Colorado River. professional meteorologists. Kanzer said recent The Central Colorado Mountain River Basin scientific reports indicate that cloud seeding Program is backed by cost-share partners that can boost seeded snowstorm totals from 5 to 15 include the Colorado percent above non-seeded storms.

14 15 State Water Affairs Federal Water Affairs In 1933, the West Slope learned the hard future legislation addressing new water rights locations for certain water rights without The Colorado River District maintains way that the Colorado General Assembly filings and future releases from storage for requiring a return trip to water court (HB17- relationships and close communications can be a playground for water mischief. recreational and piscatorial purposes. Such 1291) for a change of water right. with the U.S. Congress, Executive Branch Water leaders read in a newspaper about legislation may be critical to releases made and federal agencies through a variety of legislation to appropriate the Colorado from Green Mountain Reservoir for endan- Of special note in the 2017 session was the fi- River and move water to the Front Range. means knowing that this is necessary to gered fish recovery in the Colorado River nal push for and passage of SB17-267, which protect western Colorado water. and the River District’s discretionary releases restored the hospital provider fee revenues to The ensuing wrangling gave birth in 1937 to from Wolford Mountain Reservoir for en- hospitals statewide and included several other the Colorado-Big Thompson Project, Green vironmental and recreational benefit. Such important and broad provisions critical to Chris Treese, External Affairs manager, Mountain Reservoir and legislation that consideration will not, however, be addressed rural Colorado. Perhaps the greatest, lasting capitalizes on the variety of modern media to created the Colorado River District to be the during the 2018 legislative session. value of SB17-267 will be the precedent set remain in touch with Colorado’s nine-mem- watchdog for western Colorado water. with the multiple and disparate legislative ber delegation to Congress. Additionally, In other water matters, the 2018 state budget provisions allowed under the bill’s title, “Sus- through active involvement in the National Lesson learned, the Colorado River District included last-minute funding for aquatic nui- tainability of Rural Colorado.” Water Resources Association and the Western continues to this day to monitor closely activ- sance species inspections of boats launching Coalition of Arid States, the River District ities of the legislature and state government on state reservoirs. It also designated contin- Also, in 2017 the Interim Water Committee maintains a finger on the pulse of daily exec- and to be the voice of western Colorado at the ued funding for the Basin Roundtables, which met during the summer and the River District state Capitol in Denver. operate grant programs to support projects helped shape an agenda to discuss water proj- utive, legislative and judicial developments that advance Colorado’s Water Plan. ect and program funding, efficacy of the new in D.C. Chris Treese, External Affairs manager, Water Project Permit Coordinator position is a registered lobbyist and a regular (SB16-200), streamlined methods for At Congressman Tipton’s invitation, presence at the Capitol. In late 2017, the calculating historical consumptive use Treese testified before the Water, Power River District strengthened this work (HB17-1289), progress reports on leas- and Oceans Subcommittee of the House with the addition of Zane Kessler to the ing-fallowing pilots, updates on aquifer Committee on Natural Resources early in of the annual appropriations (budget) process. U.S. Congress and enjoying broad bi-parti- staff. The new Communications Director storage and recovery and remediation of 2017. He expressed the Colorado River Once again in 2017 Congress failed to pass san support, it has been bogged down in the is sharing the state legislative responsi- abandoned mines, among other topics. individual appropriations bills, choosing in- Senate awaiting just a few minutes on the bilities with Treese. District’s support and appreciation for Mr. stead to pass a series of temporary Continuing floor calendar. The River District spent considerable Tipton’s Water Rights Protection Act and Here’s a look at General Assembly action time last fall working with Northern Wa- the Congressman’s willingness to work with Resolutions (CR). One of the problems with in 2017 and a look ahead. ter and numerous other water interests the District to resolve our concerns with CRs is they merely continue the past year’s Among the River District’s highest priorities on Northern’s planned introduction of early drafts of the bill. budget directions and include no current year for 2018 is reauthorization of funding for the The River District followed more than 2018 legislation creating a process for spending priorities or adjustments for chang- two endangered fish programs for the Upper two dozen water-related bills in 2017, review and approval of reservoir “mit- This bill, H.R. 2939, would prevent a repeat ing needs or completed projects or programs. Colorado and San Juan Rivers. These two igation releases” for fish and wildlife roughly comparable to past sessions, of federal agencies’ past efforts to force programs have twin goals of recovering the purposes. though a preponderance of staff time assignment of private water rights to the Among the District’s unrealized priorities in four fish species listed as endangered under was dedicated to HB17-1190, addressing the budget are equal treatment (tax exemp- the Endangered Species Act (ESA) while wa- Following the defeat of HB17-1321, a federal government through federal agencies’ portions of the Colorado Supreme Court’s tion) of water conservation rebates, tax ex- ter operations and development proceeds in Severance taxes, the longtime source of this sweeping authorization for increased permitting authority. ruling in the St. Jude’s case regarding the St. emption for private activity bonds for public accordance with state water law, U.S. Bureau Jude’s ditch in the mid-Roaring Fork Valley grant funding, have declined dramatically and fees for Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW), water projects, federal funding for invasive of Reclamation water project authorizations and use of water rights to support fish, recre- were further decimated by a Supreme Court the water community will seek new fees in a Forest health and an end to so-called “fire ation and aesthetics. ruling to refund funds overcollected from more focused bill to assist CPW with invasive borrowing” also continue to be Colorado Riv- species (primarily mussels and tamarisk) and interstate compacts. energy companies. mussel inspection and prevention programs at er District priorities. More than 80 percent of and reauthorization and full funding for the Although the bill passed, the final version Colorado lakes and reservoirs. Colorado’s drinking water originates or flows Land and Water Conservation Fund, which The two recovery programs initiate and over- wasn’t a complete success. As anticipated, the In contrast, in 2017, the legislature approved through national forest lands. Forest health is funds locally developed solutions to federal see actions to recover the endangered fish. Longer term, recognizing that water project Senate whittled it down to simply affirming a record amount of spending for the Colorado critical to the quality and sustainability of our land management and ownership issues. With Those actions provide ESA compliance for Water Conservation Board, including $40 and program funding will continue to be a pe- the validity of water decrees that included water supplies. the government still funded by CRs in early about 2,500 water projects in Utah, Colorado, “recreational, piscatorial (fish), and aes- million for various elements of Colorado’s rennial challenge within the state budget, se- rious discussions are underway advocating a 2018, work continues on these priorities. Wyoming and New Mexico. Uniquely among thetic uses” issued prior to the court ruling. Water Plan in HB17-1248. Special thanks are “bottle tax” or other dedicated revenue stream ESA programs, there have been no lawsuits HB17-1190 protects both conditional and due to Representatives Millie Hamner and “Fire borrowing” is the disruptive practice for water-related projects and programs. The Colorado River District also encour- related to the ESA compliance provided by absolute decrees but provides no guidance Bob Rankin, both members of the powerful of funding emergency wildfire fighting by aged passage of H.R. 689 granting the small the recovery programs, which were initiated regarding a path forward for new water rights Joint Budget Committee, for leading the diverting funds budgeted for other, more Any such initiative would most likely require applications for these purposes. The District charge to secure these spending priorities for constructive forest-management operations. town of Minturn, Colo. access to the head in 1988. Additionally, these programs have voter approval under the Taxpayers Bill of succeeded in including compromise language the 2018 fiscal year. Without this, there would Each year more and more funds are diverted gate of the historic Bolts Ditch, which is streamlined administration of the ESA for Rights (TABOR) amendment to the state that at least does not prejudice future filings be no funding for Roundtable work. now just within the boundaries of the Holy federal agencies, tribes and water users in all constitution. to fight larger and more widespread wildfires, by public entities for recreational, piscatorial which leaves the U.S. Forest Service with less Cross Wilderness Area. Rehabilitation of four states of the upper Colorado River basin. The legislature also approved expanding and and aesthetic uses. than half of its appropriated funds to manage Bolts Ditch will allow Minturn to develop extending the current agricultural leasing-fal- and maintain national forest lands. local water storage. As a non-legislative element of the final lowing, pilot program (HB17-1219). Addi- tionally, to provide flexibility for reservoir op- compromise related to the St. Jude’s legisla- While seemingly the simplest bill before the tion, the District committed to considering erations, it created new flexibility in storage The River District follows the tortured path

16 17 Upper Basin is Watching Gang,” Edward Abbey imagined unplug- When Irrigation ______ging the Colorado River at Glen Canyon Efficiency Goes Up, CRD Annual Water Seminar Eric Kuhn, General Manager (retired), Dam and draining Lake Powell. More Colorado River District Return Flows Go Down recently, the Salt Lake City-based Glen ______Bringing Water Education to the Public Canyon Institute put forth the same thing, The Colorado River Compact of 1922 is best Don Schwindt, Rancher from Cortez arguing that diminished flows of the river understood as a social or political contract Bill Trampe, Rancher from Gunnison Board member Heather Dutton from the Rio we wanted to make in Congress or with other can more efficiently be stored in just one David Kanzer, Deputy Chief Engineer, among groups, each with its own interests, Grande Basin said the Basin Roundtables states. Everyone did it,” Kuhn said. “It was reservoir, Lake Mead. Colorado River District that allowed development of the river, said across the state have done much work to considered part of the game at the time. But Eric Kuhn, then General Manager of the create and implement Colorado’s Water Plan. it led to decisions that, if we were to do them “Whether you think the idea is crazy or Farmers and ranchers are under growing pressure Colorado River District. “Roundtables forced local residents to get over again, they would be very different.” not—let’s assume that most people think to increase their water-use efficiency. However, together and talk in new ways,” she said. it’s crazy— it’s an idea that won’t go this can come with undue costs and unintended Today, with scarcity and not abundance as Mitchell and McClow spoke to the uncer- Salton Sea away,” said Jack Schmidt, a professor environmental consequences, as attendees heard ______the driver, new contracts are needed. “Like tainty of funding to achieve goals outlined by at Utah State University. “So it’s worth from a panel at the Annual Seminar. 100 years ago, we need a political or social the Roundtables—a decision ultimately that Bill Hasencamp, thinking about.” Manager, Colorado River Resources, contract, but it must be between agriculture must be made by state legislators. The CWCB There are many advantages to modernizing Metropolitan Water District of Southern and municipal, not between basins,” he said. The Colorado River District holds its wants to “keep the ball rolling” and pausing California irrigation systems and practices. But while the Municipal entities seek certainty, which they Annual Water Seminar each September means falling back. conversion from open ditches and flood irriga- as its signature public education effort to are entitled to, because that is their funda- Manhattan Beach in tion to pressurized pipelines and sprinklers, for highlight important western water issues. mental purpose. They need to do it in a way Rivers of Words California is located along example, can save water and reduce selenium In 2018, the Annual Water Seminar is set ______that fundamentally protects and preserves the Pacific Ocean, part of and salinity in local streams, historical agricul- for Friday, Sept. 14 in Grand Junction. irrigated agriculture and its associated eco- Eric Kuhn, General Manager (retired), metropolitan Los Ange- tural return flows can be adversely affected. Details will be posted later in 2018. Colorado River District nomic and social values in western Colorado les. But when it comes This can impact neighboring water users and and the Upper Basin states. to water, it depends just even damage wetland habitats that have been Here is a recap of what some of the speakers Eric Kuhn brings native as much on the Colorado River as people in nurtured by historical irrigation practices. addressed in 2017. Complete reports, Power- curiosity and now 37 Solutions that protect water uses in both the Grand Junction, Colo. through which the river Understanding evaporation rates from the Points and video of these speakers and others years of experience Upper and Lower Basins from the uncer- acturally flows. two reservoirs is crucial. Even today, he To view the 2017 Seminar can be viewed at ColoradoRiverDistrict.org. with the Colorado River tainty of curtailments are needed. “We will said, “We don’t understand evaporation go to www.coloradoriverdistrict.org/ District to a book he is have to go to the table, with real discussions annual-seminars/ That point was made by Bill Hasencamp, who very well.” Colorado Water writing about Colorado manages Colorado River resources for the and with real facts, and not expectations or Conservation Board River hydrology and how political expedien- mythology that began 100 years ago.” ______Metropolitan Water District (MWD) of South- He said that the two reservoirs together cy at times trumped reality. ern California. That dependency also makes lose 1.1 million acre-feet, or more than Becky Mitchell, Executive Director, Colorado Water Conservation Board the region stakeholders in the future of the Draining Lake Powell? three times the entire allocation of the Kuhn’s conclusions are anything but nerdy. Heather Dutton, Rio Grande Basin Salton Sea, located 140 miles to the east. The river to Nevada. “That’s not a trivial num- As he pointed out, the federal government’s Board member sea was created early in the 20th century when ber.” It doesn’t matter where you store John McClow, Gunnison Basin Board construction of giant dams in the West had a flood in 1906 wrecked irrigation-diversion the water, in Powell or Mead; there really member much to do with the triumph of both Los An- infrastructure on the river. The river spilled is no savings of water from evaporation. geles and also Seattle as thriving metropolises into the basin, which is below sea level, for Colorado’s central water planning agency But noting the lingering uncertainty about of the 21st century. 18 months, thus forming a body of water now is the Colorado Water Conservation Board viable numbers, he said that the Bureau of kept alive barely with irrigation return flows. Reclamation has issued a contract to study (CWCB), which has 45 “really passionate, For those depending on the Colorado River, capable and reliable people” working in six evaporation from Lake Powell. prosperity that grew out of dam construction The shoreline is projected to recede four miles programmatic sections, such as flood protec- was built on a faulty foundation, though. The in coming years as MWD and others continue Bottom line? Too much uncertainty tion and long-range planning, said Executive Colorado River Compact assumes 17.5 mil- to transfer irrigation water to municipal use, remains for making good decisions about Director Becky Mitchell. “The CWCB is the lion-acre feet of river flows annually. It does, thus diminishing the return flows and causing where water should be stored and wheth- primary policy and project financing agency sometimes. However, the long-term average environmental problems. Solving those issues er, as the Glen Canyon Institute argues, for Colorado.” is substantially less. ______is key to California and the Lower Basin states Powell should be gradually decommis- Dr. Jack Schmidt, professor, Utah agreeing on long-term drought planning on the sioned after first drawing it down to Mitchell stressed the CWCB’s role as a Those framing the Colorado River Compact State University, and former director of Colorado River. the Glen Canyon Monitoring and Research minimum power pool for hydroelectric connector for collaborations between various knew better in 1922. “We used (the knowl- Center production. groups across Colorado. “This is where the edge), but we selectively used it, and we real work is being done,” she said selectively used it to shape the arguments that Decades ago, in his book “Monkey Wrench

18 19

MotherBy Eric Kuhn Nature Rules the Colorado River The Colorado River is a rather small The Bureau of Reclamation maintains a The Lower Basin and Upper The third component is demand manage- desert river, as far as rivers go. Most of its but here is how man governs it Colorado River natural flow data base that Basin Drought Contingency Plans ment. This is another name for reducing water begins as snowpack in the Colorado deliveries to Mexico in the same propor- 7. The 1968 Colorado River Rocky Mountains, 70 percent of which lies begins in 1906. For 1906-2014 the average (DCPs). After the big snowpack year of existing consumptive uses. Under the pro- tion as deliveries are reduced to users within the boundaries of the Colorado River Basin Project Act authorized the natural flow at Lee Ferry was 14.8 million 2011, system storage appeared to be recov- posed Upper Basin DCP, there is no com- District. It is a river of scarcity. Complexity within the United States. Central Arizona Project (CAP), acre-feet per year. For 2000-2015, the ering. However, 2012 and 2013 were very mitment to implement demand manage- follows scarcity. Here is what you need to five more participating projects in Colorado Lee Ferry average was only 12.35 million dry and storage in Lake Powell declined by ment, only to study demand management. know to understand administration of the 4. The 1948 Upper Colorado such as the Dallas Creek and Dolores Proj- acre-feet per year, about 83 percent of the about 60 feet in elevation. In the summer of However, if hydrologic conditions remain river and the hydrologic challenges facing it. River Basin Compact apportioned the ects and, among other things, directed the long-term average. Over that same 2000- 2013, the basin states met with then-Interior similar to what we’ve experienced since Upper Basin’s share of the river to the four U.S. Secretary of the Interior to promulgate 2015 period, basinwide consumptive uses Secretary Sally Jewel and agreed that the ba- 2000, to preserve storage in Lake Powell The Law of the River states of the Upper Division. Colorado got long-range operating criteria (LROC) for The interstate compacts, federal laws, sin was unprepared for a continuation of dry and avoid potential compact deficits, it’s an international treaty and U.S. Supreme 51.75 percent, Utah 23 percent, Wyoming Lake Mead, Lake Powell and the CRSP years. The states and the Secretary agreed very likely that demand management will Court decrees that control the use of the 14 percent and New Mexico 11.25 percent units. Under the initial LROC, Lake Powell on the need to prepare Drought Contingency have to be used in the future. Colorado River system are collectively of the water available for use each year. is operated to make a minimum release of Plans (DCPs). There are separate DCPs for referred to as the “Law of the River.” The The percentages reflect how to deal with 8.23 million acre-feet per year. the Upper and Lower Basins, but the intent major elements are: variable snowpack years rather than allocat- would be that the two plans would work to- ing a set amount of water use. Additonally, The 2000-2018 Drought Period. gether to protect and preserve system storage 1. The 1922 Colorado River Compact because a small part of Arizona is in the Almost all of the major federal projects levels. The states have been working on these divided the basin into the Upper Basin and Upper Basin, it got a flat 50,000 acre-feet a and non-federal projects that divert water DCPs, since August 2013. the Lower Basin and apportioned consump- year of the Upper Basin’s allocation. from the Colorado River were in operation tive use between the two basins. The states by the late 1990s. Due to generally wet The proposed Lower Basin DCP is intended of the Upper Basin (Wyoming, Utah, New 5. The 1956 Colorado River Stor- to supplement the 2007 shortage guidelines. age Project (CRSP) and Participating plus system losses have averaged about The Lower Division states would imple- Projects Act authorized the construction of 14.5 million acre-feet per year. Thus, for ment additional conservation measures to Glen Canyon Dam (Lake Powell), the other this 16-year period we’ve relied on drawing cut back their consumptive uses based on the initial CRSP units (Flaming Gorge, Aspinall down storage. Water year 2017 was above projected storage elevation of Lake Mead. and Navajo), and participating projects (irri- average, but it appears that 2018 will be Savings are pegged to tiers, but at the lowest gation projects such as Colbran, Paonia and well below average unless things change tier, if Lake Mead is projected to drop below Bostwick Park). Under the 1956 Act, one drastically after publication of this report. 1,025 feet in elevation, the total savings by of the primary purposes of Glen Canyon the three Lower Division states, Mexico and Dam and the other initial units was to store Other factors at work: The 2007 the Bureau of Reclamation are about 1.4 water during wet periods so that it could Interim Shortage Guidelines million acre-feet per year. The Lower Ba- Mexico and Colorado) have an obligation be used to meet the Upper Basin’s compact conditions in the 1980s and 1990s, the sys- and Coordinated Operations of sin DCP has not yet been approved. to not deplete the flow of the river at Lee obligations to the Lower Basin. tem’s big reservoirs (Lake Mead and Lake Lake Mead and Lake Powell. In Ferry, located just downstream from the Powell) were essentially full. Beginning 2005-2006, the seven basin states and U.S. The draft Upper Basin DCP Glen Canyon Dam at Lake Powell, below 6. The 1964 U.S. Supreme Court de- in 2000 the Colorado River basin entered Department of the Interior negotiated the has three components. If Lake 75 million acre-feet every 10 years. The cree in Arizona v. California. Unlike the into an extended period of below-average 2007 Interim Guidelines to deal with declin- Powell is projected to drop Lower Basin states are California, Arizona Upper Basin, the Lower Basin could never flows. From 2000-2004, storage in Lake ing reservoir levels. Under these guidelines, below 3,525 feet of eleva- and Nevada. agree on a compact, thus litigation ensued. Powell dropped from more than 22 million deliveries to Lower Basin users out of Lake tion, the Upper Division In Arizona v. California, the U.S. Supreme acre-feet to less than 10 million acre-feet Mead are reduced based on the projected states and the Bureau of 2. The 1928 Boulder Canyon Court apportioned the waters of the main- annually. Since 2005 conditions have been end-of-calendar-year storage elevation at Reclamation would agree Project Act authorized construc- stem of the Colorado River below Lake average to below average. Lake Mead. to move water in Flam- tion of Hoover Dam (Lake Mead) Mead to California (4.4 million acre-feet), ing Gorge, Aspinall and the All-American Canal. The Arizona (2.8 million acre-feet), and Nevada Lake Powell has recovered a little storage, There are three tiers. If Mead is projected to and Navajo into Lake Act also provided Congressional approval (0.3 million acre-feet). but storage levels in Lake Mead have con- be below the 1,075 foot elevation point, the Powell. of the 1922 Compact. tinued to decline. Under normal operations reduction in deliveries from Lake Mead is when Lake Powell deliveries are 8.23 mil- 333,000 acre-feet of water; below 1,050 feet The second component 3. The 1944 Water Treaty with lion acre-feet per year, the demand for Lake it’s 417,000 acre-feet of water; and below — augmentation — the Republic of Mexico. Under the Mead water for California, Arizona, Nevada 1,025 feet it’s 500,000 acre-feet. Additional- would be accomplished treaty, the United States normally delivers and Mexico, plus system losses exceeds the ly, under Mexican Treaty Minute 323, Mexi- through cloud seeding 1.5 million acre-feet to Mexico per year. inflow by about 1.2 million acre-feet per co takes shortages based on these same Mead and phreatophyte (tam- Under the conditions of an “extraor- year. This gap or difference is referred to as elevations. This makes reductions totaling arisk and Russian olive) dinary” drought (or irrigation system the “structural deficit.” 400,000, 500,000 and 600,000 acre-feet per control programs. emergency), the United States can reduce year. So far no shortages have been declared.

20 21 She is a fourth-generation Coloradan. water districts, land developers, mining on several ditch companies’ boards and Colorado River District Board of Directors Chandler-Henry has served as a member of companies, a brewery and a ski area. She participating in the state’s Water for the 21st the Eagle County Board of County Com- served as Chief Deputy Attorney General for Century (HB1177) Roundtable process while missioners since 2013 and was appointed its Colorado from 1996-98; was General Coun- sitting on the Gunnison River Basin Roundta- Board Chair in 2017. In addition, she is the sel to the Senate Committee on Commerce, ble. His term expires in January 2019 county’s representative to the Water Quality Science and Transportation from 1998- Quantity Committee (QQ), Ruedi Reser- 2000, and served as Special Assistant to the voir Water and Power Authority, Northwest Secretary of the Interior from 2003-2005. Tom Gray represents Moffat County and Colorado Council of Governments, Economic She is an avid hiker and skier and lives with has done so since 2008. He is a former Moffat Development District Board of Directors, her husband near Ridgway. Her current term County Commissioner and has been a county Lake Creek Affordable Housing Corp. and expires in January 2021. resident, rancher, water rights holder and FirstNet Governing Board. Her term expires active church member for 35 years. January 2019. Gray serves on the Yampa/White/Green Basin Stan Whinnery represents Hinsdale Roundtable, County Land Use Board, Yampa County. He was appointed in January 2013. River Basin Partnership as chairman, Wis- Alden Vanden Brink represents Rio He is a County Commissioner and a fifth-gen- consin Ditch Company president, Fair Board Blanco County and was appointed in January eration rancher. He runs a cattle ranch, a and the Natural Resources, Public Lands and 2015. He is the Manager of the Rio Blanco haying operation and owns an excavation Agriculture Steering Committees of Colorado Water Conservancy District, after serving as a business. His interests include keeping Counties Inc. His term expires January 2020. Director for four years. Previously he was the “sustainable agriculture as a way of life, clean Town of Rangely’s Utility Department water and the cleanup of abandoned mines.” Manager. Vanden Brink also serves as the Rio Whinnery is also a member of the Gunnison John Ely represents Pitkin County and has Blanco County Municipal representative to Basin Roundtable, the Rio Grande Basin done so since 2005. He is the County Attor- the Yampa/White/Green Basin Roundtable Roundtable and the Lake San Cristobal Water ney for Pitkin County government, a position where he also serves as Vice-Chair. His CRD Enterprise. His term expires January 2019. that has put him in the forefront of water Board term expires January 2021. issues in a county that is the headwaters for the Roaring Fork River. He also is the coun- Bill Trampe represents Gunnison Upper Gunnison River Water Conservancy Park area of Grand County. He current- Doug Monger represents Routt Coun- ty’s lead for the Pitkin County Healthy Rivers County. He served as president of the District. She is active in preserving arti- ly serves on the Grand Foundation, West Karn Stiegelmeier represents Summit ty and has done so since 2014. He is a Board. His term expires January 2020. Colorado River District Board in 2006 and facts from the early days of the West. Her Grand Community Educational Foundation, County, earning appointment in 2016. She fourth-generation Routt County native, oper- 2007. Upon serving out his term limit as an term expires January 2020. Citizens for a Safe Highway 9 and East is a fifth-generation Colorado native. Upon ates an accounting practice and is a lifelong officer, he was designated by the Board in Fork Mutual Irrigation Co. His term expires graduating from CU Boulder with a degree rancher. He was president of the Colorado Marc Catlin represents Montrose County 2008 to continue key negotiating roles he January 2019. in Environmental Conservation, Stiegelmeier Commissioner Association in 2007 and on the Board of Directors, earning appoint- had performed in the Black Canyon of the Steve Acquafresca represents Mesa took a series of assignments with the National served on its Board of Directors from 2004 ment in 2015. In January 2017, he was Gunnison reserved federal water rights case County and was reappointed to the Colo- Forest Service and National Park Service in- through 2010. He is president of the Colorado appointed to fill a vacancy in the Colorado and the Colorado River Cooperative Agree- rado River District Board in January 2017 Dave Merritt is a former chief engineer cluding wildland firefighter, wilderness ranger, Water Resources and Power Development House of Representatives and represents ment. Trampe is a lifelong cattle rancher having previously served from 2011-2014. for the River District who is now in the fire dispatcher, naturalist and park ranger. In Authority, and has served as president, vice House District 58. Most recently, he was the who has coupled his everyday experiences Acquafresca has been an advocate for the private sector. He has served as Garfield addition, she taught environmental education president and treasurer of Associated Govern- Water Rights Development Coordinator for in water with involvement in water organi- agricultural community while being actively County’s representative since January 2009. with Yosemite Institute in California. ments of Northwest Colorado. Monger has Montrose County where he worked to identi- zations. He was a founding member of the engaged in farming, conservation, business, His is the Board Vice President. In 2009 Stiegelmeier was elected Summit also served as chairman and vice chairman fy and protect water rights within the county. Gunnison Ranchland Conservation Legacy community affairs and public policy-making. Merritt has been involved in Colorado River County Commissioner, a position she contin- of the Upper Yampa Water Conservancy From 1996 to 2011, he served as Manager of and served on the Upper Gunnison River As a former Colorado state legislator, Acqua- issues since conducting his master’s research ues to hold. She also has served as the director District and currently serves on the Yampa/ the Uncompahgre Valley Water Users Asso- Water Conservancy District Board. He sits fresca represented six West Slope counties in on Lake Powell in the mid-1970s and with of the Friends of the Lower Blue River, Chair White/Green River Roundtable and Inter-Ba- ciation. He was born and raised on a row- on the Gunnison Basin Roundtable. His Colorado’s General Assembly and focused his work for the Corp of Engineers and the of the Blue River Group of the Sierra Club and sin Compact Committee. His term expires crop farm in Montrose and is still actively term expires January 2021. on farming and ranching issues, business and Bureau of Reclamation. Affiliations include board member of the Continental Divide Land January 2020. involved with farming today. His term expires economic development, water law, conser- serving as past president of Colorado Water Trust. Her term expires January 2019. in January 2021. vation, local government, transportation Congress, past chairman of the Colorado Rebie Hazard represents Saguache and public education funding and policies. River Basin Roundtable, mayor Pro Tem of Tom Alvey represents Delta County and County and has done so since 2005. She Acquafresca served as Mesa County Com- the City of Glenwood Springs and a member Martha “Marti” Whitmore has was appointed in 2009. He is the current operates a working ranch on Cochetopa missioner from 2007-2015. His term expires of the Colorado Municipal League Executive represented Ouray County since 2015, and Board President. Alvey has grown and packed Creek that also accommodates hunting and January 2020. Board. His term expires in January 2021. previously served as the Ouray County At- fruit in the North Fork Valley for over 30 fishing enthusiasts. Hazard is a Saguache torney. She is currently the Montrose County years and is a founding member and president County Planning Commission Board Attorney. She has been involved in Colorado of the Rogers Mesa Fruit Company Inc. member, on the Advisory Board for the Mike Ritschard represents Grand Coun- Kathy Chandler-Henry represents water law matters for nearly 40 years, hav- His affiliations include serving as president of Saguache County Master Plan, and the ty and was appointed in January 2016. He Eagle County and was appointed to the Col- ing represented large municipalities, small the North Fork Water Conservancy District, Saguache County representative on the is a fourth-generation rancher in the Middle orado River District Board in January 2017.

22 23 PublicAn informed publicOut is thereach best defense of West Slope water

“H2O Outdoors” State of the River meetings Annual Water Seminar Our program brings high school Annually the River District holds The Colorado River District each students to the heart of the Rocky 10 public meetings around the September holds its Annual Water Mountains for a three-day education District in the spring. These meet- Seminar, where water leaders and program on water management. ings review the coming water the public can interact and learn Students are assigned “stakeholder year relative to snowpack runoff about trends in water use, climate, roles” to reflect those in real-life and reservoir operations. In agreements involving the Colorado water management. A “Town Hall” addition, each meeting includes River and more. Save the date: the meeting marks the final event in presentations and discussions of 2018 seminar is set for Sept. 14 in which students utilize knowledge topical water issues. Grand Junction. gained from the program to engage For more info visit: http://www.coloradoriverdistrict. in conversations about managing and www.ColoradoRverDistrict.org/ org/annual-seminars/ balancing important water issues. state-of-the-river-meetings www.coloradoriverdistrict.org/ h2o-outdoors/

School Water Festivals ColoradoRiverDistrict.org Water Wranglers One part of our outreach efforts Learn and engage in Colorado’s This history of the Colorado River for children is our coordination water future by exploring our District. Author George Sibley’s and participation in water website. Resources include detailed book “Water Wranglers” is an festivals within our District. The current information on water essential read for citizens of the festivals educate about the value policy, agreements, research, West who want to learn how wa- and fragility of our limited water conservation and planning. Learn ter battles — and their solutions resources through games and fun, also about the history, geographical — created a water infrastructure hands-on activities. make-up, financing, governance and that defines the West as we know staff of the Colorado River District. it today. It is still in print and We have a rich library of videos that available to the public. Call us at delve into all of these topics. 970-945-8522.

Explore videos, history, current issues and Colorado’s water future at ColoradoRiverDistrict.org