1. Colorado Basin Implementation Plan
Grand County Town Hall Meeting

2. Agenda
 We Are Glad You Came
 Colorado Water Plan Overview
 Gap - Colorado River Basin Challenges
 Grand County Challenges
 Breakout Sessions

3. Thank You!
 Your ideas and input
 Included in the final report (appendix)
 Merge common themes, ideas, concerns and suggestions with
other Town Hall input
 Online survey found on website
 http://coloradobip.sgm-inc.com
 Entrance questionnaire
 Interviews with water professionals, managers

4. Colorado Water Plan Overview –
 Governor’s Executive
Order
 Compilation of 9 Basin
Roundtables Plans
 How can we meet the
“Gap”?
 Planning horizon-2050
 Draft due July 2014

5. 9 Basin Roundtables

6. Governor’s Executive Order-Why?
 The “Gap” between future demand and future
projects is real….500,000 acre-feet per year
 Population
 Drought
 Transfer of water rights from agriculture is
unacceptable
 Water quality
 Interstate issues pressing
 Front Range new supply project

7. Your Opportunity
 Transition in thinking
 Individual
 Regional
 Statewide

8. Colorado River Basin Challenges
Lake Powell Elevations

9. Colorado River Basin Challenges
Drought
Anthony Artusa (NOAA/NWS/NCEP/CPC)

10. 0
2,000,000
4,000,000
6,000,000
8,000,000
10,000,000
12,000,000
Low Medium High
2008 2010 2015 2020 2025 2030 2035 2050
Population
Arkansas Basin Colorado Basin Gunnison Basin
Metro Basin North Platte Basin Rio Grande Basin
South Platte Basin Southwest Basin Yampa Basin
Population Increasing…No New Water

11. Many uses compete for
a scarce and limited
water supply
Municipal &
Industrial
9%
Agriculture
86%
Recreation
Environment
Graphics provided by the Colorado Foundation for Water
Remaining 5% - recreation/fisheries, augmentation and recharge

12. What is the “Gap”?

13. How can we fill the Gap?
Already planned projects (Windy Gap firming, Moffat Collection System+)
Conservation Ag to Urban
Transfers
New Projects
(Colorado Basin
development)
Graphics provided by the Colorado Foundation for Water

14. Population
County
2000
Population
2030
Population
Increase in
Population
2000 to
2030
Percent
Change
2000 to
2030
Percent
Annual
Growth
Rate
Eagle 43,300 86,900 43,600 101 2.3
Garfield 43,800 119,900 76,100 274 5.2
Grand 12,900 28,800 15,900 123 2.7
Mesa 116,250 220,600 104,350 190 3.8
Pitkin 15,900 27,200 11,300 71 1.8
Summit 25,700 50,400 24,700 96 2.3
TOTAL 248,000 492,600 244,600 99 2.3
Colorado River Basin – double by 2030

15. Grand County – Upper Colorado
River Basin Study (UPCO)
 Investigated water quantity/quality in Grand (and Summit
counties)
 Developed tools needed to understand impacts of
diversions
 Supported negotiations among stakeholders
 Current/future water supply
 Reservoir level
 Instream flows
 Water quality
 Need for additional water supplies for existing and future
municipal demands
 Instream flows to support recreational uses and maintain
low-flows for water quality

16. Grand County – Stream
Management Plan
 80 miles of the Upper Colorado River
 Frame work for maintaining a healthy stream system
in Grand County - protect and enhance aquatic habitat
 Also protect local water uses and retain flexibility for
future water operations
 Identified
 Target flows
 Restoration opportunities
 Monitoring recommendations

17. Grand County
 Colorado River Cooperative Agreement
 Denver Water and West Slope partnership (34 parties)
 Framework for numerous actions to benefit
 water supply
 Environment
 Denver Water to provide Grand County
 Provide 375 acre-feet (ski areas)
 920 acre-feet Clinton Bypass Water
 Grand County Mutual Ditch and Reservoir Company – Vail Ditch shares
 Denver Water will not undertake any future water development
activities w/o prior approval of Grand County and Colorado River
District
 Assist in investigation/acquisition of Shoshone Power Plant by
Western Slope parties

18. Grand County Challenges
 Diverse water supplies (groundwater/surface water)
 No reservoirs (fens, permitting)
 Reliance on instream flows
 Water quality
 Future population
 Large fluctuations in demands – seasonal
 Complex water rights (exchanges, pumpbacks, etc.)

19. Agriculture

20. What are Others Saying?
 Need for multi-use/multi-benefit reservoirs
 Educate on true cost of water
 Land Use Policy
 Preserve urban boundaries
 Limit water use/outside irrigation
 Depletions not just demand
 Water Law Policy
 Address evaporation in municipal reservoirs
 "Use it or lose it" doctrine
 New water right should have to prove long term supply

21. What are Others Saying?
 Forest health and water quality
 Conserve water use in agriculture on a basin level
 Assess savings within the whole ditch system
 Incentivize agriculture
 Limit development

22. Breakout Sessions
 What are your top 5 biggest concerns?
 Consumptive
 Environmental and Recreational (Nonconsumptive)
 Agricultural