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.
Alexandra Davis appointed to lead Colorado's Interbasin Compact Committee (IBCC)
Gov. Bill Ritter Jr. has announced the recent appointment of Alexandra L. Davis as director of the IBCC. Davis has been the Department of Natural Resource's Assistant Director for Water.
The IBCC was established by the Colorado Water for the 21st Century Act as a statewide effort to find consensus on resolving water supply issues within and between stakeholders in Colorado's eight river basins. The Interbasin Compact Process creates a framework to encourage dialogue on water, broaden the range of stakeholders actively participating in the state's water decisions, and creates a locally driven process where the decision-making power rests with those living in the state's river basins.
February's weather brought only slight increases to the snowpack percentages across most of Colorado, according to recent snowpack surveys conducted by the USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service(NRCS). The latest data indicates that the statewide snowpack increased to 88 percent of average, up from the 86percent of average recorded on February 1.
Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar today signed a Secretarial order establishing a new water sustainability strategy for the United States. Salazar showcased the Department of the Interior's WaterSMART Initiative at a press conference featuring a geospatial presentation on water supply and demand in the high-tech operations center at the Department's headquarters.The "SMART" in WaterSMART stands for "Sustain and Manage America's Resources for Tomorrow. -Coverage on KGUN9-
Shell Oil Co. said Tuesday it is abandoning its quest for water rights from a northwest Colorado river to develop oil shale production, citing delays in the project due to the global economic downturn. Colorado, Wyoming and Utah are thought to hold 800 billion barrels of recoverable oil in shale. But critics of a federal management plan for developing oil shale on public lands say the process would use too much of the region's scarce water.
Federal engineers Tuesday began scrutinizing a developer's proposal to divert water from western Wyoming across the Continental Divide to meet Colorado Front Range needs through 2030. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers also released a report summarizing 1,500 comments from the public on the plan floated by Aaron Million.
Things are about to get tougher for the state Division of Water Resources in enforcing water rights in the coming year, after the House Appropriations Committee killed a bill to fund four of the 10 water commissioners who monitor headgates and water rights. The appropriations committee voted Friday morning to kill HB 1006, sponsored by Rep. Kathleen Curry, I-Gunnison. The bill would have moved funding from the Division of Wildlife, under the Department of Natural Resources, to fund four vacant water commissioner positions in the Division of Water Resources.
Although a draft study says impacts to Summit County are not significant, the Moffat Tunnel project could shorten the boating season and impact fish on Lower Blue and affect the Frisco and Dillon marinas.
The chicken-and-egg debate over water and growth might be replaced by a new concept: gravity. A study by Summit Economics, working in conjunction with Tucker Hart Adams' group, was commissioned by the Front Range Water Council to explain the relationship of water to the Colorado Economy. The council is made up of the state's largest water providers, who are also importing most of the water from the Western Slope.
After conducting what they say is one of the most rigorous studies ever of the Colorado River Basin, state officials concluded there may be some additional water available for development and use -- or there may not, depending on what numbers are plugged into the computer models.
Preliminary results from a multi-year study on the Colorado River suggests the state still has water available to develop, but additional research is needed to better quantify how much, state water officials said. The draft results of Phase I of the Colorado River Water Availability Study were presented to the Colorado Water Conservation Board at its meeting on Jan. 27, 2010. The draft report will be released for public comment next month. -Full CWCB press release- Colorado Water Availability Study
Gov. Bill Ritter outlined three "pillars" for providing water to Colorado in the future at Thursday's opening session of the Colorado Water Congress. "We face really serious challenges," Ritter told the group at its 52nd annual convention. "Colorado has gone from an era of overabundance to where most of our streams are over- appropriated."
The question that keeps water managers up at night - How much water is left in the Colorado River? - now has an answer, courtesy of a state study that went public last week. Its answer: It depends. But it's probably less water than the state needs.
One citizen needed further clarification. After about two hours listening to a panel of 15 people who represent Grand County in Denver Water Moffat Firming Project negotiations, one individual went to the microphone and asked point blank: "As a county, are we for this? ...Or we against this?" The answer was not as black or white as the question. The bottom line was: What choice do we have?
Why this is important: Grand County is already the most heavily impacted county on the Colorado River due to transmountain diversions of the Colorado-Big Thompson Project and the existing Windy Gap and Moffat Tunnel Projects. The Moffat Tunnel firming project and the Windy Gap firming project would take more water from the headwaters to the east.
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.
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
