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Water Sharing: Innovative Strategies for the Colorado River Basin and the West

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Water Sharing: Innovative Strategies for the Colorado River Basin and the West Agricultural/Urban/Environmental Water Sharing: Innovative Strategies for the Colorado River Basin and the West A Collaborative Effort of the Agricultural/Urban/Environmental Water Sharing Work Group About this Report This report summarizes the products of a collabora- tive effort funded by the Walton Family Foundation to evaluate innovative water sharing strategies, and de- velop actionable recommendations to improve water sharing opportunities in the Colorado River Basin and Click to see a short throughout the West. The recommendations devel- introductory video in oped as part of this report are relevant for policymak- Windows Media Format ers, stakeholders and government agencies. The report is divided into the following sections: Click to see a short introductory video hosted on YouTube Executive Summary 3 Background 11 Interviews/Strategies 14 “We hope what you read, hear, and see in these pages will inspire you. It will take all of Workshop 27 us working cooperatively to find opportunities for sharing our precious water resources. Recommendations 30 Not just for cities, not just for agriculture, but for the environment.” Quantification Study 38 MaryLou Smith, Next Steps 44 Colorado Water Institute, Colorado State University Glossary/Reference 45 Credits 49 The audio/video links in this document will require access to the internet. Agricultural/Urban/Environmental Water Sharing Strategies 2 Executive Summary Agricultural/Urban/Environmental Water Sharing Strategies 3 Responding to a Challenge from the Western Governors Water used for agriculture in the Colorado River Ba- One of the first issues the group resolved focused sin and the western United States is increasingly seen on the very nature of water transfers. Some in the as a potential supply for growing urban and environ- group did not want to participate in any process that mental needs. would somehow encourage additional water to be In 2008, the Western Governors’ Association, transferred out of agriculture. An essential first step working through their water arm, the Western States in building the collaborative process was to come to Water Council (WSWC), issued Water Needs and the decision that the group would focus on ways to Strategies for a Sustainable Future: Next Steps. One improve sharing of water between multiple sectors, of the next steps identified in the report was that and would not seek to find more ways to unilaterally “…states, working with interested stakeholders, transfer water out of agriculture. should identify innovative ways to allow water trans- And while the group was able to agree on a broad fers from agriculture to urban use while avoiding or range of other issues affecting water sharing projects, mitigating damages to agricultural economies and and appreciate the value of bringing together their environmental values.” diverse interests to develop comprehensive under- This initiative is a direct and independent response to the WGA’s call to action. A diverse Water Sharing Work Group of highly knowledgeable and influential Members of the Agricultural/Urban/ Environmental Water Sharing Work Group water leaders representing the sectors of agriculture, urban interests, and the environment, set aside paro- Nathan Bracken—Western States Water Council—UT chial positions to collaboratively take on the gover- Todd Doherty—Colorado Water Conservation Board—CO nors’ challenge. Bill Hasencamp—Metropolitan Water District—CA Thanks to funding from the Walton Family Foun- Taylor Hawes—The Nature Conservancy—CO Jonne Hower—Western Federal Agency Support Team (WestFAST)—UT dation as part of its Colorado River Basin Freshwater Tom Iseman—Western Governors’ Association—CO Initiative, the Water Sharing Work Group began work Dan Keppen—Family Farm Alliance—OR on this project – Agricultural/Urban/Environmental Pat O’Toole—Family Farm Alliance—WY Water Sharing: Innovative Strategies for the Colo- Mark Pifher—Western Urban Water Coalition and Aurora Water—CO rado River Basin and the West. The Colorado Water Jennifer Pitt—Environmental Defense Fund—CO Institute at Colorado State University was selected to Ron Rayner—Tumbling T Ranches—AZ Reagan Waskom—Colorado Water Institute—CO manage the project. Facilitator: MaryLou Smith—Colorado Water Institute—CO Agricultural/Urban/Environmental Water Sharing Strategies Executive Summary 4 standing of the issues, they also recognized that there • Quantification study of agricultural water use and was a need for additional dialogue on the role of stor- transfers in the Colorado River Basin. age. Faced with mounting demands to provide water Although WGA and WSWC staff participated in for urban growth and other beneficial uses, includ- this initiative, neither organization has endorsed this ing agriculture, some members of the group identify report or its recommendations. Rather, the report is themselves as pro-stor- the product of the collective efforts of a diverse group age. Others remain leery of stakeholders that formed independently of the of the potential adverse WGA and WSWC to provide the western governors impacts and costs associ- and other policy makers with actionable information ated with some storage and recommendations to use in avoiding or mitigat- projects. However, the ing the adverse impacts of transfers on agricultural group generally ac- communities and environmental values. To this end, cepted the concept that the Group will present this report to the WGA and there may be benefits WSWC in 2011 for their consideration. to properly sized and located storage in certain Interviews and Strategies circumstances, especially Throughout the communities that rely on the Colo- when such projects are rado River, and elsewhere in the West, numerous part of a larger, multiple-benefit strategy. The group new water sharing strategies have been launched in also generally agreed that when projects have the recent years, with others under development. The support of multiple entities, including agriculture, en- historical practice of permanent “buy and dry” type vironmental, and urban players, the regulatory process transfers is beginning to give way to creative water for approval of such projects should be better inte- sharing schemes that attempt to provide water for grated, more conducive to moving forward, and less urban needs while maintaining agricultural and en- embroiled in redundant action by multiple agencies. vironmental benefits. To describe the existing range While coming to consensus on these issues was not of western water sharing strategies that could be quick or easy, the group is proud of its progress. This applied to the Colorado River Basin and elsewhere, report summarizes the results of their collaborative and to learn what has and has not worked in terms process, including the following components of their of multi-use benefit, 50 key players were interviewed. initiative: Interviewees were selected based on their involve- • Interviews with key players and summaries of key ment with innovative or experimental water sharing ongoing water sharing strategies from the Colorado scenarios. Those interviewed include environmental River Basin and the West and natural resources policy experts, irrigation and • Convocation of a workshop of diverse experts, re- environmental engineers, irrigation district man- sulting in the development of water sharing Action agers, economics and law professors, farmers and Recommendations ranchers, state and federal government officials, Agricultural/Urban/Environmental Water Sharing Strategies Executive Summary 5 • Storage projects to provide flexibility for maximiz- ing potential to meet multiple needs—agricultural, environmental, and urban • Deficit irrigation to free up consumptive use (CU) for transfer • Conjunctive use of groundwater and surface water for maximum beneficial use for agricul- ture and cities • Improvements in irrigation efficiencies to pro- duce conserved water that can be transferred to urban areas. • Development of collaborative stakeholder pro- cesses to help review and speed processing of temporary transfers • Groundwater banking and recharge • Creation of new institutional and business con- structs to facilitate temporary transfers • Development of a “best management practices” municipal water providers, and attorneys. template to guide agricultural transfers Based on those interviews, 11 water transfer • State funding for research and experimentation of scenarios are summarized in this report. These 11 transfer methods alternative to permanent dry up case studies were selected to showcase innovation, of agriculture. geographic areas, and overarching obstacles. All water See glossary on page 45 for a discussion of some of transfer summaries are enhanced with audio clips these terms. from the interviewees themselves. Innovative water sharing strategies highlighted in Workshop and Recommendations this report include: A key component of this project was the convoca- • Agricultural rotational fallowing for urban supply tion of a two-day highly focused workshop bringing through leases together a diverse group of individuals motivated by • Leasing of interruptible supplies for urban their conviction that the status quo will not work – drought relief that change is critical. The goal was to come up with • Split year leases between agriculture and environ- actionable recommendations to improve water shar- mentalists to keep late season water in the stream ing given intensely competing needs, complex regula- for fish Agricultural/Urban/Environmental Water
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