The Future of Water Supply In Colorado CCI 2018 Summer Conference - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

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Apr 28, 2023 299 likes •545 views

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

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The Future of Water Supply In Colorado

CCI 2018 Summer Conference

Andy Mueller, General Manager

June 5, 2018

Denver Post

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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

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The Colorado River: A Statew ide Resource

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Colorado’s Snow pack Ends up here

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Lake Pow ell: 2000 -2018 is not looking good

Glen Canyon Dam

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5/1/18 Forecast 42 percent of av.

Just in Today: Powell inflow 39% of average 2.8 MAF

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We have a long-term problem

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5 10 15 20 25 30 1878 1881 1884 1887 1890 1893 1896 1899 1902 1905 1908 1911 1914 1917 1920 1923 1926 1929 1932 1935 1938 1941 1944 1947 1950 1953 1956 1959 1962 1965 1968 1971 1974 1977 1980 1983 1986 1989 1992 1995 1998 2001 2004 2007 2010 2013

ANNUAL FLOW IN MILLIONS OF ACRE-FEET PER YEAR year

Natural Colorado River Flows at Lee Ferry

ten year moving average running average to date compact signed

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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

Current Use Estimates

MAF/ year

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What else is happening to the Colorado River? Scientists say rising temperatures

- Brad Udall, Jonathan Overpeck

“The twenty-first century Colorado River hot drought and implications for the future” 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.

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LAND USE IS CONNECTED TO WATER CONSUMPTION Windsor Grand Junction Grand Junction Windsor

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One result: Buy and Dry

Our State’s Ag Should Not Be a Sacrifice Zone

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Values enhanced by agricultural water rights

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Drought Contingency Planning Low er Basin is working on

Upper Basin is working on

Lake Mead

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Elevation 3525: Threshold for Lower Operating Tier; Reclamation is concerned about Hydropower efficiency and hydraulics/cavitation below this level

What are w e doing about it: Risk Study What if bad droughts repeated?

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Grand Valley Pilot Project: Testing fallow ing

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