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Statewide Water Supply Initiative

Statewide Water Supply Initiative. Gunnison Water Workshop July 29, 2005. SWSI goals as authorized by Legislature (May 2003):. Examine all aspects of Colorado water use over the next 30 years Evaluate water supply and water management alternatives in each river basin

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Statewide Water Supply Initiative

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  1. Statewide Water Supply Initiative Gunnison Water Workshop July 29, 2005

  2. SWSI goals as authorized by Legislature (May 2003): • Examine all aspects of Colorado water use over the next 30 years • Evaluate water supply and water management alternatives in each river basin • Formulate strategies and build consensus on alternatives to meet future water needs

  3. Major Findings

  4. 1. Significant Increases in Colorado’s Population will Intensify Competition for Water

  5. Population Projections by Basin Source: Colorado Department of Local Affairs Demography Section

  6. Statewide Agricultural Demands

  7. 2. Projects and Processes that Local M&I Providers are Implementing or Planning to Implement Have the Ability to Meet 80 Percent of Colorado's M&I Water Needs Through 2030 20% Gap (119,000 AF) 80% of Demand (511,000 AF) Met Through 2030

  8. Statewide Gross M&I and Self-supplied Industrial Water Demands – 2000 to 2030

  9. 3. If Identified M&I Projects and Processes Are Not Successfully Implemented, Colorado Could See a Significantly Greater Reduction in Irrigated Agricultural Lands

  10. Source: Colorado's Decision Support Systems and Basin Roundtable/ Basin Advisor input. Potential Changes in Irrigated Acres

  11. 4.Supplies are not necessarily where/when demands are • Localized shortages exist • Headwaters areas • Most agricultural users • Highly over-appropriated areas of South Platte and Arkansas • Areas where physical availability is limited • Compact entitlements are not fully utilized in some basins

  12. 400,000 310,000 110,000 N. PLATTE LARAMIE 1,530,000 YAMPA SOUTH PLATTE WHITE 560,000 4,500,000 COLORADO 510,000 GUNNISON ARKANSAS 164,000 DOLORES EAST SLOPE Population: 3,869,000 Irrigated Acres: 2,270,000 RIO GRANDE WEST SLOPE Population: 467,000 Irrigated Acres: 880,000 SAN JUAN 320,000 1,780,000 2000 Population, Irrigated Acres and Flows

  13. South Platte North Platte Yampa/White/Green 10,300 AF Gap 107,800 AF Colorado 107,600 AF Identified Projects 404,300 AF Gunnison Dolores/ San Juan/ San Miguel Rio Grande Arkansas 2030 M&I Water Demands and Gaps

  14. High and Low Estimates of 2030 State of Colorado’s Share of Colorado River Compact Depletions Colorado’s Compact Entitlement BOR Hydrologic Determination

  15. 5. Conflicts over use of groundwater are increasing • Groundwater use is affected by both legal and physical constraints • Increased reliance on nonrenewable, non-tributary groundwater for permanent water supply raises serious reliability and sustainability concerns • South Metro area • Northern El Paso County • San Luis Valley using unsustainable amounts • Administration of Arkansas and South Platte alluvial groundwater

  16. 6. In-basin Solutions Can Help Resolve Gaps Between M&I Supply and Demand, but there will be Tradeoffs and Impacts on Other Uses • Adequate in-basin options are available to meet in basin needs in each basin • Conservation • Reuse • Agricultural transfers • New storage • Multiple solutions will be needed • Multi-purpose projects will likely be the most successful

  17. 7. Water Conservation Will Be Relied On as a Major Tool for Meeting Future M&I Demands, but Conservation Alone Cannot Meet All of Colorado's Future Needs • System reliability depends on ability to further reduce water use in times of drought • Additional conservation measures are part of most providers’ IP& P’s • Conservation does not fully address reliability and sustainability concerns • Concerns raised regarding impacts of additional conservation on downstream supply availability

  18. Estimated Total Potential Additional Water Conservation Savings for M&I and Self-Supplied Industrial Uses from 2000 to 2030 50 40 30 20 10 0 Level V Level IV Level III Level II Current Level 1 Percent Reduction from 2030 Baseline Arkansas Colorado Gunnison North Platte Rio Grande South Platte Yampa / White Dolores/ San Juan

  19. 8. Without a Mechanism to Fund Environmental and Recreational Enhancement, Conflicts Among Interests Will Likely Intensify • These uses support tourism, provide benefits to our citizens and are important industry • Conflicts over these needs and water development arise, driving up costs and delaying implementation

  20. 9. The Ability of Smaller, Rural Water Providers and Agricultural Water Users to Adequately Address Their Existing and Future Water Needs is Significantly Limited by Their Financial Capabilities • These users often do not have tax or revenue base to pay costs • There was a statewide expressed need for financial assistance

  21. 10. Beyond 2030, Growing Demands May Require More Aggressive Solutions • The ability to meet future demands with in-basin supplies will be a greater challenge • Many large providers at or near build-out, smaller providers will play a more dominant role • Greater need for increased coordination intra- and inter-basin

  22. Recommendations Next Steps

  23. Key Recommendations • Ongoing dialogue among all water interests is needed • Track and support the identified projects and processes • Develop a program to evaluate, quantify, and prioritize environmental and recreational water enhancement goals • Work toward consensus recommendations on funding mechanisms for environmental and recreational enhancements

  24. Key Recommendations (continued) • Create a common understanding of future water supplies • Develop implementation plans toward meeting future needs • Assess potential new State roles in implementing solutions • Develop requirements for standardized annual M&I water use data reporting

  25. SWSI Phase 2Specific Topics for Further Evaluation • Meeting the 20% M&I gap • Water efficiency (M&I and agricultural) • Alternative Agricultural Transfers to Permanent Dry-up (rotating fallowing, interruptible agreements) • Quantification and prioritization of environmental and recreational needs • Identify potential multi-use projects • Funding alternatives Goal is to develop consensus and recommendations and highlight benefits and limitations

  26. CWCB November 2004Statewide Water Supply Initiative (SWSI) Mission StatementThe 20% M&I Gap, Agricultural Shortages and Environmental and Recreational Enhancements Foster cooperation among water suppliers and citizens in every water basin to examine and implement options to fill the gap between ongoing water planning and future water needs.

  27. Technical Roundtables Input to CWCB Water Efficiency Alternatives to Permanent Ag Dry-up Discussion of Workgroup Products Project Concepts Multi-Use Projects Quantify Recreation and Environmental Need Addressing the Gap including Alternatives BRT 6 Funding

  28. Reuse Ag Efficiency M&I Conservation (Level 5) M&I Conservation (level 3) Trans-basin Diversions New Storage Ag Transfer Example Portfolios to Meet M&I Gap and address Agricultural Shortages and Environmental and Recreational Uses The options above can be assembled into portfolios to provide for meeting M&I, agricultural, environmental and recreational needs

  29. SWSI Interbasin Compact Interface

  30. Additional InformationQuestions www.cwcb.state.co.us swsi@cdm.com

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