The Future of Water Supply In Colorado CCI 2018 Summer Conference Denver Post Andy Mueller, General Manager June 5, 2018
Minding the source for over 80 years: Colorado River Water Conservation District 1937 state statute 15 western counties 28% of Colorado board director from each county mill levy & water activity enterprise ColoradoRiverDistrict.org
The Colorado River: A Statew ide Resource
Colorado’s Snow pack Ends up here
Lake Pow ell: 2000 -2018 is not looking good Glen Canyon Dam
5/1/18 Forecast Just in Today: Powell inflow 39% of 42 percent of av. average 2.8 MAF
We have a long-term problem
ANNUAL FLOW IN MILLIONS OF ACRE-FEET PER YEAR 10 15 20 25 30 0 5 1878 1881 1884 1887 1890 1893 1896 1899 1902 1905 1908 1911 1914 1917 Natural Colorado River Flows at Lee Ferry 1920 signed compact 1923 1926 1929 ten year moving average running average to date 1932 1935 1938 1941 1944 year 1947 1950 1953 1956 1959 1962 1965 1968 1971 1974 1977 1980 1983 1986 1989 1992 1995 1998 2001 2004 2007 2010 2013
Current Use Estimates MAF/ year Upper Basin uses incl. reservoir evap. 4.0 - 4.5 Lower Basin mainstream uses 7.5 - 7.5 Lower Basin reservoir evap. 1.0 - 1.5 Lower Basin tributaries 2.0 - 2.5 Total Lower Basin 10.5 - 11.5 Subtotal 14.5 - 16.0 Add Mexico 1.5 1.5 TOTAL 16.0 – 17.5
What else is happening to the Colorado River? Scientists say rising temperatures Recently published estimates of Colorado River flow sensitivity to temperature indicate that continued business-as-usual warming will drive temperature-induced declines in river flow, conservatively − 20% by midcentury and − 35% by end-century . -- Brad Udall, Jonathan Overpeck “ The twenty-first century Colorado River hot drought and implications for the future”
LAND USE IS CONNECTED TO WATER CONSUMPTION Windsor Grand Junction Grand Junction Windsor
One result: Buy and Dry Our State’s Ag Should Not Be a Sacrifice Zone
Values enhanced by agricultural water rights
Drought Contingency Planning Low er Basin is working on one Upper Basin is working on one Lake Mead
What are w e doing about it: Risk Study What if bad droughts repeated? Elevation 3525: Threshold for Lower Operating Tier; Reclamation is concerned about Hydropower efficiency and hydraulics/cavitation below this level
Grand Valley Pilot Project: Testing fallow ing
Questions?
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