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Colorado trying to figure out what to do in event of a Colorado River shortage

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on October 30, 2007 at 9:47 pm

From the Summit Daily News, Summit County, Colorado:

Colorado is in the early stages of considering a set of rules for allocating water in the event of a Colorado River shortage. Under a 1922 compact, upstream states — including Colorado — are obligated to send a set amount of water downstream to thirsty California and Arizona.

Under drought conditions, there may not be enough water to satisfy those downstream rights. That could mean curtailing existing uses in the state, said Eric Kuhn, director of the Colorado River Water Conservation District (CRWCD). Essentially, if the lower basin states call for their allocated water, there won’t be enough to go around for Colorado, said County Commissioner Tom Long, who also serves on the river district board.“It won’t be pretty,” Long said.

“If you’ve got Denver sitting down there, and there’s curtailment because of a call, the East slope diverters will all be up in arms looking for water,” he added, careful not to single out just Denver Water.

Based on those concerns, the CRWCD board recently passed a motion that cautions the state about proceeding with any new rules without first studying how much water can be safely developed. “It is premature and distracting for the State Engineer’s Office to promulgate rules and regulations to administer water rights in the event curtailment is necessary under the 1922 and 1948 Colorado River compacts … The state’s policy priorities should be to avoid a compact curtailment and to work with water users to develop a plan to mitigate the adverse impacts of a curtailment,” the motion reads in part.

“With each new use, we’re adding a burden to existing uses,” said Kuhn. “When do we stop?”

To read the full text of this article from the Summit Daily News, click here.

October 30, 2007 · Filed Under Southwest Water Issues

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