Ridenbaugh Press/Water Rights

U.S. Department of the Interior Assistant Secretary for Water and Science Anne Castle and Bureau of Reclamation Commissioner Michael L. Connor joined dozens of stakeholders outlining a path of next steps to address projected water supply and demand imbalances in the Colorado River Basin.

In collaboration with representatives from the seven Colorado River Basin states, the Ten Tribes Partnership and conservation organizations, the Moving Forward event highlighted the next steps based on the findings of the Colorado River Basin Water Supply and Demand Study released in December.

“Only by working together can we improve public understanding of the enormous challenges facing the Colorado River Basin and identify the potential solutions that can help reduce future uncertainties and meet those challenges,” Assistant Secretary Anne Castle said. “This continuing effort will require innovative thinking, integration of many viewpoints and a commitment to work in a positive and collaborative spirit.”

The Moving Forward event at the U.S. Geological Survey’s California Water Science Center in San Diego introduced the next steps framework as part of the collaborative process to work on the challenges in the Colorado River Basin.

“We have made substantial progress addressing Colorado River water management over the past several years,” Reclamation Commissioner Michael L. Connor said. “From the interim guidelines for shortage and surplus in 2007, the 2012 signing of Minute 319 to the treaty with Mexico and the latest WaterSMART funding announcements supporting new projects and studies, we remain focused on wise use and new technologies to address upcoming gaps in supply and demand.”

Last week, Interior announced $8.2 million in WaterSMART funding for projects to assist the Colorado River Basin by augmenting water supplies, conserving and reusing existing water supplies and plan for the future of the basin. Interior awarded $2.8 million in Water and Energy Efficiency Grants for seven projects, $1.8 million for one Basin Study and one plan of study and $3.6 million for water reclamation and reuse projects in Albuquerque, N.M. and Long Beach, Calif. More information on the WaterSMART program and the newly funded projects is at www.usbr.gov/waterSMART.

The 2012 Colorado River Basin Water Supply and Demand Study, the most comprehensive survey of future supplies and demands on the Colorado River ever developed, was produced collaboratively with a wide array of interested individuals, organizations and scientists. The study’s findings projected significant shortfalls between expected water supplies and demands in the Colorado River Basin in coming decades. The study is widely acknowledged as a call to action for all who rely on the Colorado River.

Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar on December 12 announced the release of a study – authorized by Congress and jointly funded and prepared by the Bureau of Reclamation and the seven Colorado River Basin states – that projects water supply and demand imbalances throughout the Colorado River Basin and adjacent areas over the next 50 years. The Colorado River Basin Water Supply and Demand Study, the first of its kind, also includes a wide array of adaptation and mitigation strategies proposed by stakeholders and the public to address the projected imbalances.
The average imbalance in future supply and demand is projected to be greater than 3.2 million acre-feet by 2060, according to the study. One acre-foot of water is approximately the amount of water used by a single household in a year. The study projects that the largest increase in demand will come from municipal and industrial users, owing to population growth. The Colorado River Basin currently provides water to some 40 million people, and the study estimates that this number could nearly double to approximately 76.5 million people by 2060, under a rapid growth scenario.

“There’s no silver bullet to solve the imbalance between the demand for water and the supply in the Colorado River Basin over the next 50 years – rather, it’s going to take diligent planning and collaboration from all stakeholders to identify and move forward with practical solutions,” said Secretary Salazar. “Water is the lifeblood of our communities, and this study provides a solid platform to explore actions we can take toward a sustainable water future. While not all of the proposals included in the study are feasible, they underscore the broad interest in finding a comprehensive set of solutions.”

Authorized by the 2009 SECURE Water Act, the study analyzes future water supply and demand scenarios based on factors such as projected changes in climate and varying levels of growth in communities, agriculture and business in the seven Colorado River Basin states of Arizona, California, Colorado, New Mexico, Nevada, Utah, and Wyoming.

The study includes over 150 proposals from study participants, stakeholders and the public that represent a wide range of potential options to resolve supply and demand imbalances. Proposals include increasing water supply through reuse or desalinization methods, and reducing demand through increased conservation and efficiency efforts. The scope of the study does not include a decision as to how future imbalances should or will be addressed. Reclamation intends to work with stakeholders to explore in-basin strategies, rather than proposals – such as major trans-basin conveyance systems – that are not considered cost effective or practical.

“This study is one of a number of ongoing basin studies that Reclamation is undertaking through Interior’s WaterSMART Program,” said Assistant Secretary for Water and Science Anne Castle. “These analyses pave the way for stakeholders in each basin to come together and determine their own water destiny. This study is a call to action, and we look forward to continuing this collaborative approach as we discuss next steps.”

WaterSMART is Interior’s sustainable water initiative and focuses on using the best available science to improve water conservation and help water-resource managers identify strategies to narrow the gap between supply and demand. The WaterSMART program includes Reclamation’s Water and Energy Efficiency grants, Title XVI Reclamation and Recycling projects, and USGS’s Water Availability and Use Initiative.”This study brings important facts and new information to the table so that we can better focus on solutions that are cost effective, practical and viable” said Bureau of Reclamation Commissioner Mike Connor. “We know that no single option will be enough to overcome the supply and demand gap, and this study provides a strong technical foundation to inform our discussions as we look to the future.”

Spanning parts of the seven states, the Colorado River Basin is one of the most critical sources of water in the western United States. The Colorado River and its tributaries provide water to about 40 million people for municipal use; supply water used to irrigate nearly 4 million acres of land, and is also the lifeblood for at least 22 Native American tribes, 7 National Wildlife Refuges, 4 National Recreation Areas, and 11 National Parks. Hydropower facilities along the Colorado River provide more than 4,200 megawatts of generating capacity, helping meet the power needs of the West.

Throughout the course of the three-year study, eight interim reports were published to reflect technical developments and public input. Public comments are encouraged on the final study over the next 90 days; comments will be summarized and posted to the website for consideration in future basin planning activities.

The full study – including a discussion of the methodologies and levels of uncertainty – is available at www.usbr.gov/lc/region/programs/crbstudy.html.

The seven states in the Colorado Basin also reached an agreement on some basic principles in response to the study. From that agreement:

Additional Conservation and Reuse

The Basin Study recognizes that many municipal agencies in each state have implemented water conservation and reuse to meet the water needs of their growing populations and have incorporated comprehensive conservation programs into their planning to meet future demands. These conservation reductions are included in the forecast of future demands in the Basin Study. Municipal conservation can only be implemented step by step, providing a balance between water rates, demand elasticity, and demand hardening during droughts. Municipalities will continue to evaluate additional conservation and reuse, over and above what is already
reflected in the Basin Study demand scenarios, and implement necessary programs on a case by case basis considering local conditions.

In many states, significant agricultural conservation programs are already in place. Additional agricultural conservation, above that already included in the calculation of demands, will require significant additional investment. Agricultural water transfers are being implemented within the Law of the River, represented for example by forbearance of agricultural water use, and new transfers are under evaluation in many states. Many of the states are also exploring alternatives to permanent agricultural transfers, and these types of alternatives are being further analyzed and implemented. Only projects that actually reduce consumptive use will reduce the imbalances between future supply and demands. This Basin Study identifies additional conservation and transfer opportunities that will be considered by entities as appropriate through
local and/or state measures. While these local and state programs will offer a partial solution in some areas of the Basin, they may be, in many cases, problematic because much of the water diverted for use within the Basin returns to the river or a tributary for use by others downstream.

Water banking has been ongoing in the lower Basin for many years. A number of water banking options were submitted for consideration by the Basin States and Reclamation. A representative water banking option was included within the Basin Study to conceptually explore water banking. This option demonstrated that there are a number of legal, policy, and institutional barriers to implementing an Upper Basin water bank, however, the benefits associated with this option clearly demonstrate the need for additional exploration and analysis of this and similar concepts.

There are many watershed and regional solutions already being implemented and explored by the states and water agencies. For example, the states and water agencies have jointly been funding weather modification pilot programs for over five years as well as land and vegetation management options. All of these regional solutions are outlined in the Basin Study. The Basin States and relevant water agencies are committed to evaluating and implementing programs and options that have the greatest potential to yield additional supply. Although generally observed to be effective, the potential to generate additional water can vary
significantly from year to year, and it is often very difficult to quantify the additional amounts of water generated at particular locations within the river system. Accordingly, regional implementation of these options would likely need to be used to augment the river on a Basin wide basis.

Desalination and Importation Solutions

The large demand and supply imbalances projected at the latter part of the planning horizon can realistically be met only with implementation of a variety of options and strategies. Of the options analyzed, only large scale desalination and importation projects provide the reliability and quantity of water necessary to meet many of the plausible projected supply/demand imbalances. Future population growth in the Basin, the uncertainty of the reliability of the Colorado River supply and long lead times for implementation of projects, dictate that the Basin States and the Federal Government must start evaluating options for developing such project(s) immediately. For example, permitting and construction of large scale desalination projects may take 20 years or more before the projects become operational. The Basin States, in cooperation with appropriate Federal agencies will form a partnership to immediately begin developing a process to consider feasible options for developing large scale desalination and/or importation project(s), with the goal of having such project(s) in operation before the end of the planning horizon (by 2060).

Other Commitments

Modification to the operations of Lakes Powell and Mead was implemented in 2007 through the “2007 Guidelines” and will be effective through 2026 with re-consultation to occur no later than 2020 or if Lake Mead reaches an elevation of 1,025 feet. The Basin Study does not contemplate any changes to the 2007 Guidelines. Within the context of the 2007 Guidelines, Basin States’ representatives will begin discussions of additional measures or approaches to be
taken at a Lake Mead elevation of 1,025 feet.

The Basin Study has again demonstrated to Reclamation and the Basin States the great interest in the future of the Colorado River by a wide variety of stakeholders—tribes, recreational entities, power providers, environmental organizations and conservation groups. As work continues following the completion of the Basin Study and based on its recommendations, the Basin States and Reclamation will continue to work with key stakeholders to explore solutions.

The Basin Study provides tools for water resource planning for the Colorado River Basin. The Basin States will work with Reclamation to evaluate progress regarding consideration of options listed in the Basin Study, evaluate the ability to use the tools developed for the Basin Study, and update water demands and supply scenarios on a five-year time frame. In addition, the Basin States will work with Reclamation to support improvements in the modeling and analytical tools used in the Basin Study and the information developed to support those tools, including those improvements specifically described in Appendix C5 of Technical Report C – Water Demand Assessment.

The Basin States will work with local, state, and federal representatives, and a wide array of diverse and interested stakeholders, to obtain funding to aid in the assessment and implementation of the above listed initiatives.

Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar and Navajo Nation President Ben Shelly announced a $43 million financial assistance agreement for design and construction of a portion of the Navajo-Gallup Water Supply Project. The leaders broke ground in June on the historic project, which, when completed, will have the capacity to deliver clean running water to a potential future population of approximately 250,000. Today’s milestone is one in a series of steps that are part of the larger Navajo-Gallup Water Supply Project.

“Today’s agreement signifies not only another major milestone in progress toward the Navajo-Gallup Water Supply Project, but also the high priority that the Obama Administration has placed on completing the project to deliver clean running water to Navajo communities—many for the first time,” said Secretary Salazar.

The $43 million agreed upon today will enable the Navajo Nation to complete the lower reaches of the Cutter Lateral—one of two branches of the project. The Navajo Gallup Water Supply Project will provide a long-term, sustainable water supply to 43 Navajo Chapters; the city of Gallup, New Mexico; and the southwestern portion of the Jicarilla Apache Nation.

“The Navajo-Gallup Water Supply Project is a great project for the Navajo Nation,” said Navajo President Ben Shelly. “We are going to bring safe drinking water to thousands of Navajo families. We are also going to create more than 600 jobs for our people. I want to thank every agency that’s involved in making this project a reality for our people.”

Under the terms of today’s agreement, the Navajo Nation will be responsible for the design, construction, and oversight of Reaches 24.1, 25, and 26 of the Cutter Lateral, which consists of approximately 43.4 miles of water pipeline, a pumping station, and four storage tanks. Construction will be located on the Navajo Reservation along the U.S. Highway 550 corridor south of Farmington, New Mexico. The project participants already have begun design and other pre-construction work, and water delivery to communities along the Cutter Lateral could occur as soon as 2015.

“This project is a matter of improving the quality of life for Diné people in the affected communities,” said Navajo Speaker Johnny Naize. “The council and I are delighted to know that this project will enable easier access to safe drinking water and create opportunities for development and growth.”

The first construction contract for Reaches 24.1 and 25 is expected to be awarded in the spring of 2013. All reaches under today’s agreement are scheduled to be constructed by 2016. The pipeline will extend from an area near the community of Counselor and tie into the existing distribution systems for the communities of Ojo Encino, Torreon, and Pueblo Pintado.

The Bureau of Reclamation will be responsible for the design and construction of the uppermost reach of the Cutter Lateral, including the Cutter Lateral Water Treatment Plant.

The larger Navajo-Gallup Water Supply Project is the cornerstone of the Navajo Nation Water Rights Settlement in the San Juan River Basin in New Mexico. Project authorization was provided by Congress in the Omnibus Public Lands Management Act of 2009, and supplemental funding for the project was obtained in the Claims Settlement Act of 2010 The project consists of two separate branches, Cutter and San Juan Laterals; approximately 280 miles of pipeline; two water treatment plants; and several pumping plants and storage tanks.

The project is one of 14 high-priority infrastructure projects identified by the Obama Administration to be expedited through the permitting and environmental review process. The first construction contract was awarded in April, 2012 for Reach 12A on the San Juan Lateral. The entire project is scheduled to be completed by 2024. The current status of the project is publicly available through the Federal Infrastructure Projects Dashboard web site designed to enhance efficiency, accountability, and transparency of the federal permitting and review process for all 14 high-priority infrastructure projects.

The seven Colorado River Basin States (Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming) on July 5 submitted an alternative to the Department of the Interior and strongly urge DOI to consider, analyze and adopt this alternative as the preferred alternative for the Long-Term Experimental and Management Plan environmental impact statement development process associated with the Operations of Glen Canyon Dam. The LTEMP will evaluate Glen Canyon Dam’s operations over the past 15 years and provide a framework for continued operations and adaptive management of Lake Powell and the Grand Canyon below Glen Canyon Dam for the next fifteen to twenty years.

“This plan is important for New Mexico” stated Interstate Stream Director Estevan Lopez. “Use of San Juan River water is an essential resource for northwestern New Mexico and also for the Rio Grande Basin because of the San Juan-Chama project. We are working successfully with everyone involved to carve out long terms solutions.”

In July 2011, Secretary of the Interior Salazar announced the initiation of the LTEMP EIS process, which would involve numerous stakeholders. This process would continue to work toward more efficient management of the Dam in compliance with the Grand Canyon Protection Act while continuing to comply with the numerous laws already governing dam operations (Law of the River) for water supply purposes that are critical to water users in the seven Colorado River Basin States. Subsequently, Secretary Salazar encouraged the Basin States to work with the federal government to develop a States’ alternative. The Department held public scoping sessions across
the West in November 2011 to communicate the goals of the LTEMP process, as well as solicit input from interested States, non-governmental organizations, and other interested parties.

The States’ Environmental Impact Statement alternative is a “resource targeted, conditiondependent strategy.” It provides a balanced and integrated approach for the recovery of the endangered Humpback Chub, and the benefit of natural, recreational, and cultural resources in the Grand Canyon. Moreover, this alternative assures compliance with the Law of the River for water supply operations in a manner that minimizes the impacts to hydropower generation at the dam. The States’ alternative relies heavily on structured decision trees, wherein certain scientifically important experiments can be conducted, depending on hydrologic and other resource conditions. The States’ alternative relies on the most current scientific information, and it was developed with significant, and diverse, scientific input. In addition, the States’ alternative received the benefit of input from the DOI agencies and other federal agency involvement.

The Hopi Tribal Council voted on June 21 to endorse a proposed water right settlement for the Tribe’s Little Colorado River water right claims. The proposed settlement would end decades-long water rights adjudication and is the first step in ensuring a dependable supply of clean water for the Tribe. “I am greatly pleased by the Council’s decision,” stated Hopi Tribal Chairman LeRoy Shingoitewa. “For the first time since our reservation was established we will be able to guarantee clean, reliable water supplies for our people.”

Council Representative George Mase, Chairman of the Tribal Council’s Water and Energy Team, agreed with Chairman Shingoitewa’s assessment: “After talking to the Hopi people and hearing their concerns, it is clear that the people want a clean and reliable water supply. Our team negotiated for years to reach a settlement, and I am pleased that the Council decided to endorse the settlement.”

The Hopi Tribe has claimed reserved water rights from four sources: on-reservation surface water and groundwater, surface water from the Little Colorado River, and surface water from the mainstem Colorado River. The proposed settlement would confirm the Hopi Tribe’s rights to on-reservation surface water and groundwater, reserve a quantity of water from the mainstem Colorado River for a future settlement the Hopi Tribe’s mainstem water rights claims, provide for the development of essential on-reservation water delivery infrastructure, and establish a framework for the sustainable management of the N-Aquifer which is currently threatened by unmanaged pumping. In return, the Tribe would waive its claims to the Little Colorado River and its damages claims for injuries to water rights or water quality that occur before the settlement goes into effect. “The Little Colorado River is by far the least reliable of our four potential water sources,” explained Councilman Mase. “This is a fair tradeoff.”

Chairman Shingoitewa agreed with Councilman Mase’s assessment. “We are confident the benefits for the Hopi Tribe outweigh the risks of continued litigation,” explained Chairman Shingoitewa. “The settlement proposal provides a path to ensure a lasting supply of clean water for both tribes. Hopefully the Navajo Nation will endorse the settlement as well.”

In order to become effective, Congress also must ratify the settlement and appropriate funds for the development of projects specified in the settlement. The Hopi Tribal Council voiced its concerns about the proposed federal legislation, which was introduced before the agreement was reached. The Council has previously instructed Chairman Shingoitewa and Water and Energy Team’s Chairman Mase to co-sign a letter to Senators Kyl and McCain asking for changes in their proposed legislation. Specifically, the Tribal Council will be asking Senators Kyl and McCain to remove provisions related to the Navajo Generating Station and other items contained in the federal legislation .

The Bureau of Reclamation on May 17 released a technical memorandum titled “Technical Memorandum C – Quantification of Water Demand Scenarios”. The memorandum updates information published in Interim Report No. 1 – Technical Report C – Water Demand Assessment in June 2011.

Given the high degree of uncertainty regarding future water demand, a scenario planning process was used to develop scenarios providing a range of future conditions. With input from a broad range of stakeholders, six scenarios of water demand were developed that incorporate key factors driving future uncertainty. These factors include changes in natural systems including climate change, changes in demographics and land use, changes in technology and economics, and changes in social and governance structures.

The memorandum provides the quantification of these six demand scenarios previously published in a narrative or “storyline” format. The scenarios provide a range of about 13.8 to 16.2 million acre-feet (maf) of Colorado River water demand by 2060. The range changes to about 18.1 to 20.4 maf in 2060 when factoring in Mexico’s allotment and losses such as reservoir evaporation. When comparing the demand scenarios to the median water supply projections that incorporate climate change information, the long-term imbalance in future supply and demand is projected to be greater than 3.5 maf in 2060. This is consistent with previously published information.

The memorandum includes the quantification of the six demand scenarios for each of the seven Colorado River Basin States, a compilation of demand information from Native American tribes and communities, and an update to the methods assessing the effects of climate change on demand and associated results. The memorandum considers water demands for agriculture, municipal and industrial uses, energy production, mining, fish and wildlife habitat, recreation, and tribal use.

The Bureau of Reclamation is announcing the initiation of Phase 4 of the Colorado River Basin Water Supply and Demand Study: Development and Evaluation of Opportunities for Balancing Water Supply and Demand. The Colorado River Basin (Basin) Study was initiated by Reclamation as part of the Department of the Interior’s WaterSMART program under the 2009 SECURE Water Act (P.L. 111-11).
With Phase 4 of the Study, the team is seeking a broad range of options to help resolve future water supply and demand imbalances in the Colorado River. The team will explore the effectiveness of various options and groupings of options, referred to as strategies, for helping resolve projected future imbalances. The performance of options and strategies will be evaluated over time and across the combination of water supply and demand scenarios. Due to the scale of the Basin, the magnitude and timing of projected imbalances, and the broad needs of the Basin resources being considered, a wide variety of options will likely be explored, including conservation and reuse, development of local groundwater supplies, augmentation, water transfers, and operational efficiencies.

The reports and analysis in the Study will better define options for future water management of the Colorado River Basin where climate change, record drought, population increases and environmental needs have heightened competition for scarce water supplies. Based on preliminary assessments, large supply-demand imbalances greater than 3.5 million acre-feet (maf) are plausible over the next 50 years when considering a water supply scenario that incorporates changes in climate. Work is ongoing to explore alternative combinations of supply and demand that could result in a range of imbalances both greater and less than 3.5 maf.

“Those who best understand the dynamics of the Colorado River are the people who can bring the most to the table in gathering ideas and insight on the potential future management of the basin,” Commissioner Michael L. Connor said today. “Phase 4 of this basin study invites a broad discussion on ideas that can help identify how future water managers will address imbalances between supply and demand along the Colorado. Reclamation, the seven Colorado River Basin States and our many partners throughout the basin have much to learn from this study to guide future management, so it is critical that we provide this forum to gather a wide array of public input.”

Reclamation is considering the needs of the Basin resources that are dependent upon a healthy river system, including water for municipal, industrial and agricultural use, hydroelectric power generation, recreation, fish and wildlife and water dependent ecological systems, under a broad range of conditions that could occur over the next 50 years.

“Bringing in many perspectives is critical to the success of the Study,” said Co-Study Manager for Reclamation Carly Jerla. “We are seeking input from a wide range of stakeholders and interested parties from within and outside of the Basin to help identify a broad range of ideas because no single option will be adequate to meet all of the future needs of Basin resources,” Jerla added.

Due to the inherent complexities of the Study and the many diverse interests and perspectives, new information will be distributed in the form of technical updates. The updates will be published to reflect continuous technical developments and the ongoing input of stakeholders. Interim Report No. 1 was published in June 2011 and technical updates to the reports included in Interim Report No. 1 will be published in January 2012, with additional technical updates in spring 2012. The Study is targeted for completion in July 2012.

Additional information on the Study including preliminary information on future supply and demand projected imbalances, the process for submitting ideas, and information on how to join a webinar about the Study, can be found online at: www.usbr.gov/lc/region/programs/crbstudy.html.

Aaron Million, the Fort Collins, Colorado, businessman who has proposed building a massive water pipeline from the Flaming Gorge area in south-central Wyoming to the Colorado Front Range, has seen approvals on that project slow well beyond his early expectations.

But he told the Pueblo (CO) Chieftain, in a July 1 article, that he isn’t discouraged and is pushing on ahead.

For five years (Million had anticipated fewer than three) the project has been under review of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

“I am surprised, but not disappointed,” Million told the paper. “Certainly all of the issues need to be addressed. I’ve been very encouraged that there have not been any fatal flaws in the project.”

Another group, the Colorado-Wyoming Coalition, also has been considering developing a similar project.

The Bureau of Reclamation on June 6 released a report titled “Colorado River Basin Water Supply and Demand Study Interim Report No. 1.” The reports and analysis prepared as components of the Study will better define options for future water management of the Colorado River Basin where climate change, record drought, population increases and environmental needs have heightened competition for scarce water supplies. The Colorado River Basin was selected as one of the first three basin studies approved by the Bureau of Reclamation in September 2009.

“The Colorado River Basin Study is a feature of the Department of the Interior’s WaterSMART program and is an integral part of our implementation of the SECURE Water Act,” Reclamation Commissioner Michael L. Connor said today. “We are partnering on this valuable study with the seven Colorado River Basin States, in collaboration with other interested parties throughout the basin. Our goal is to provide detailed information for water resource managers, who face a complex future of increasing pressures on water supply matched with escalating demand for these finite water resources.”

Reclamation’s manager for the Study, Lower Colorado Region deputy regional director Terry Fulp, says the effort is significant and will consider multiple factors which will impact water supply and drive future demand: “In this study, we are considering the needs of all of the resources that are dependent upon a healthy river system, including water for municipal, industrial and agricultural use, hydroelectric power generation, recreation, fish and wildlife and water dependent ecological systems, under a broad range of conditions that could occur over the next 50 years,” Fulp said today.

Given the high degree of uncertainty regarding future water supply and demand, a scenario planning process guided the development of scenarios to provide a broad range of future conditions. The interim report provides a quantified assessment of four water supply scenarios. These include scenarios based on historical observed and paleo-reconstructed streamflow records as well as future climate projections from global climate models. Consistent with Reclamation’s recent report to Congress pursuant to the SECURE Water Act of 2009, this Study finds that for the climate change scenario, the mean natural flow of the Colorado River as measured at Lees Ferry, Arizona is projected to decrease by approximately nine percent over the next 50 years.

The Study also anticipates increases in the frequency and severity of droughts. Further review and investigations of these results will be conducted as the Study progresses.

The four water demand scenarios were developed to incorporate plausible future trends related to demographics and land use, technology and economics, and socio-political factors.

Preliminary metrics were also developed for assessing the Colorado River system’s future reliability under the four water supply and demand scenarios.

The next phases of the ongoing study will be directed toward quantifying the demand scenarios, assessing future system reliability, and the development and evaluation of opportunities for balancing supply and demand. Additional interim reports will be published with a final report targeted for summer of 2012.

The interim report provides a comprehensive snapshot of the initial effort to define current and future imbalances in Colorado River water supply and demand over the next 50 years in the Colorado River Basin and the adjacent areas of the seven Colorado River Basin States that receive Colorado River water.

Comments are welcome through the process described at the web page listed below. The report is available online at http://www.usbr.gov/lc/region/programs/crbstudy.html.

Reclamation’s Western Colorado Area Office said on February 17 that it will start negotiations on a proposed repayment contract for the Animas-La Plata Project with the state of Colorado for all or a portion of the state’s statutory allocation of project water. The first negotiation meeting is scheduled for Friday, February 25, 2011, at 9:00 a.m. at the Bureau of Reclamation’s office, 835 E. 2nd Ave., Suite 300, Durango, Colo. 81301.

The contract to be negotiated will provide for storage and delivery of project water, identify the amount of project construction costs to be paid to the federal government by the state, and provide for operation and maintenance of the project.

All negotiations are open to the public as observers, and the public will have the opportunity to ask questions and offer comments pertaining to the contract during a thirty minute comment period following the negotiation session.

The proposed contract and other pertinent documents will be available at the negotiation meeting, or can be obtained on our website under Current Focus or by contacting Brett Griffin of the Bureau of Reclamation, 835 East Second Avenue, Suite 300, Durango, Colorado, 81301, telephone (970) 385-6531 or e-mail bgriffin@usbr.gov.