Mission: To lead in the protection, conservation, use and 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.
Colorado River District expands grant program for water supply projects Beginning December 1, 2009, the Colorado River District will be accepting grant applications for projects that protect, enhance or develop water resources in their 15-county area within the Colorado River Basin; this includes all tributary watershed areas in Colorado, except the San Juan River basin.
Water resource projects eligible for grant funding should meet one or more of the following objectives:
Development of a new water supply;
Improvement of an existing system;
Improvement of instream water quality;
Increased water use efficiency;
Sediment reduction;
Implementation of watershed management actions; and/or
Tamarisk control
Past successful projects have included the construction of new storage, the enlargement of existing facilities, the rehabilitation of non-functioning or restricted structures, both small and large-scale water efficiency measures, tamarisk removal and other watershed actions. In addition, proposals that enable water to be supplied to areas previously short are eligible and encouraged. Projects that utilize pre-1922 water rights will be given ranking priority.
Eligible applicants can receive up to a maximum of $150,000 (or 25% of the total project cost whichever is less) for their water supply projects. The total grant pool for 2010 is $250,000. The application deadline is Jan. 29, 2010.
Fourth Quarterly Board Meeting Newsletterfrom October 20 & 21, 2009
"Big River" issues, Colorado River District Grant Program and an update on State and Federal legislative activities issues highlighted in the Colorado River District's October board meeting summary newsletter.
Citizens urged to weigh in on Denver proposal to divert more water from Fraser River Save the Fraser River stickers, posters and informational memorabilia were distributed at two community meetings held recently to advise Grand County citizens about upcoming public meetings, where West Slope views can be voiced about the proposed Moffat Firming project....River advocates are encouraging citizens to participate to influence measures for protecting Grand County's waterways. "Multiple water diversions have pushed the Fraser River to the brink of collapse," said Kirk Klancke, president of the Colorado Headwaters Chapter of Trout Unlimited. -Coverage in The Sky-Hi News- -Coverage in The Boulder Daily Camera-
Why this is important: Lake Powell is the water savings account that allows Colorado, Utah, Wyoming and New Mexico to meet their Colorado River Compact-obligated water flows to California, Nevada and Arizona.
There's a water war on the Colorado-Wyoming border, and Aaron Million is quick on the draw The threat of violence has always bubbled just beneath the surface of water issues in Colorado. The state's hardscrabble founders clashed over it, sparring over which mining claims got access to scarce mountain streams. Later battles moved to the settlements along the Front Range. In 1874, two farming coalitions came together in a schoolhouse in the town of Eaton to hash out control of the Cache la Poudre River. Tempers flared, and one farmer called out, "Every man to his tent, to his rifle and to his cartridges!" Now, 135 years later, the region's precious water supplies continue to bring people together and drive them apart. And there's still the threat of violence. -From Westword-
Why this is important: The Million project would divert water that counts against Colorado's share of water to use from the Colorado River system. A state study is underway to determine what the range of Colorado River supply might be before the river would come under administration and curtailments would occur.
2009 Fourth Regular Quarterly Meeting of the Board of Directors of the Colorado River District Oct. 20th & 21st Agenda, reports and memos
With demographers forecasting 35 percent more people in Colorado by 2035 and climate scientists predicting 15 percent less water available in the Colorado River Basin by mid-century, something has to give. More and more, public officials, business groups and environmental organization have been talking about additional dams and reservoirs to augment those built in the mid-20th century.
"The water inheritance is running out," said Josh Penry, the minority leader in the Colorado Senate, in a speech at the summer meeting of the Colorado Water Congress, a consortium of water providers. "Colorado needs to embark on a new round" of storage construction.
Reclamation awards $1 million for Colorado River study The Bureau of Reclamation has awarded a $1 million grant to the seven Colorado River Basin states for a first-ever comprehensive evaluation of water demands on the 1,450 mile river. The program offers support for research that will better define options for future water management of Western river basins where climate change, record drought, surging population and environmental needs have heightened competition for scarce water supplies. -Coverage in The Holyoke Enterprise-
Interior official: Dry climate puts pressure on Colorado River Feds to study use of the Colorado Population growth, drought, changing environmental needs and climate change are posing new issues in managing the Colorado River Basin. To deal with them, the U.S. Department of the Interior is conducting a water-supply and demand study of the basin from Wyoming and Colorado to California, an Interior Department official said Friday at the Colorado River District's water seminar.
The exact form of the study will be shaped by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation and a variety of stakeholders from around the basin, said Anne Castle, Assistant Secretary for Water and Science. "We all know that every drop of the Colorado River is allocated," Castle said. That makes it all the more important to put the water in the river to the best use as the population of people dependent on it grows and the amount of water it carries shrinks as a result of drought and climate change.
A growing list of studies show that global climate change will mean less water in the Colorado River, but varying perceptions about climate change are a hurdle to making decisions about future water supplies.
That was one message delivered Tuesday evening in Aspen by Dr. Eric Kuhn, general manager of the Colorado River Water Conservation District. Kuhn spoke at the Aspen Global Change Institute, which is hosting a workshop this week to explore how climate scientists and water managers can provide better information to government decision makers.
Voters in Western Colorado 'treasure' the Colorado River and want to see it protected. They also recognize the river's importance to the economy, according to a survey of 500 registered voters that was commissioned by the Colorado River District. The survey, conducted by Public Opinion Strategies of Golden, Colo., tested public perceptions about the Colorado River and issues surrounding it. For survey purposes, the Colorado River includes the main stem Colorado, Gunnison, Yampa and White Rivers and all of the streams and rivers that flow into them in Western Colorado - the tributaries. The sample of voters represents the 15 Western Colorado counties that comprise the Colorado River District. -Full Press Release-
Joint Water Supply Study by East and West Slope entities to provide summer flows to support the Upper Colorado Endangered Fish Recovery Program. click here
Use this link for the latest information about the Colorado Water for the 21st Century Act that created Basin Roundtables to discuss water supply issues and solutions. http://ibcc.state.co.us/
The Future is Drying Up
The New York Times Magazine has published a comprehensive story on the Big River Issues facing the Colorado River and the 30 million citizens in seven states. The Future is Drying Up
Information on the 2009 Roaring Fork Basin, Grand County, Summit County, Mesa County and Gunnison Basin "State of the River" meetings. Presentations and Materials
Oil Shale
Oil shale may finally have its moment. In a dusty corner of northwestern Colorado, an energy of the future is beginning to look like the real thing. read news coverage
Colorado River's Uncertain Future
Whether it's climate change, drought or unresolved legal and political issues, the future of the Colorado River offers a flood of uncertainties that must be considered for this hard-working water supply. Presentations by Eric Kuhn
COLORADO RIVER WATER CONSERVATION DISTRICT
P.O. Box 1120 - Glenwood Springs, CO 81602 - 201 Centennial, Suite 200 - Glenwood Springs, CO 81601
(970) 945-8522 FAX (970) 945-8799
