“The Upper Division States are uniquely positioned to lead the way in finding long-term sustainable solutions that can work across the entire basin.”
– Rebecca Mitchell, Colorado’s Commissioner to the Upper Colorado River Commission, and Phil Weiser, Colorado’s Attorney General, Denver Post Op-Ed, July 8, 2022
Thank you to all who attended this year’s Annual Water Seminar!
A recording of the event will be available on our YouTube channel soon, and a link will be posted here when it is ready.
We look forward to seeing you next year!
Agenda: Overdrawn, The 2022 Annual River District Seminar
- Morning Session (8:30 a.m. – 11:45 a.m.)
- 8:30 a.m. Breakfast/Registration
- 9:00 a.m. Welcome – Colorado River District Staff
- 9:05 a.m. Greeting – Martha Whitmore, Colorado River District Board President
- 9:10 a.m. Water Year Reflections: A Look at Hydrology in the Colorado River Headwaters – Brendon Langenhuizen, Director of Technical Advocacy, Colorado River District
- 9:30 a.m. Morning Keynote: Adapting the 1922 Compact to Today’s Reality – Andy Mueller, General Manager, Colorado River District
- 10:00 a.m. Break
- 10:10 a.m. Morning Panel: The 2026 Interim Guidelines, An Interstate Water User Discussion
- Peter Fleming, Colorado River District General Counsel (moderator)
- J.B. Hamby, Imperial Irrigation District Board Director of Division 2 (CA)
- Steve Wolff, Southwestern Water Conservation District General Manager (CO)
- Bart Leeflang, Central Utah Water Conservancy District Colorado River Program Manager (UT)
- Patrick Dent, Central Arizona Project Assistant General Manager of Water Policy (AZ)
- Grab Lunch 11:40-12:00
- Midday Session (12:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.)
- 12:00 p.m. Lunchtime Keynote: Cultivating Opportunities for the Future of West Slope Agriculture – Kate Greenberg, Colorado Commissioner of Agriculture
- 12:30 p.m. Ag Production & Policy: A Conversation
- Kate Greenberg, Colorado Commissioner of Agriculture
- Lowell King, Grand Valley Regenerative Farmer
- Janie VanWinkle, Grand Valley Rancher and former Colorado Cattlemen’s Association President
- 1:00 p.m. Tribal Water Rights & The Colorado River: A Sovereign-to-Sovereign Conversation
- Andy Mueller, Colorado River District General Manager (moderator)
- Daryl Vigil, Jicarilla Apache Nation Water Administrator
- Rebecca Mitchell, Colorado Commissioner to the Upper Colorado River Commission and Director of the Colorado Water Conservation Board
- Estevan Lopez, New Mexico Commissioner to the Upper Colorado River Commission and former Bureau of Reclamation Commissioner
- Lorelei Cloud, Southern Ute Tribal Council Member
- 2:10 p.m. Break
- Afternoon Session (2:15 p.m. – 4:15 p.m.)
- 2:15 p.m. Afternoon Keynote: Writing Water, A Journalist’s Perspective – Alex Hager, KUNC Colorado River Basin Reporter
- 3:00 p.m. Farm Production & Conservation: USDA Efforts to Assist Drought-Impacted Producers
- Zane Kessler, Colorado River District Director of Government Relations
- Gloria Montaño Greene, USDA Deputy Under Secretary for Farm Production and Conservation
- Paul Bruchez, Grand County Rancher, RCPP Recipient, Board Member CWCB
- 3:45 p.m. The Importance of 1041 to West Slope Water
- Peter Fleming, Colorado River District General Counsel (moderator)
- Barbara Green, Attorney at Sullivan Green Seavy
- Nick DiMascio, Denver Water Attorney
- Happy Hour & Networking (4:15 – 5:15 p.m.)
- 4:15 p.m. Celebrating Water & West Slope Craft Beverages (Beer generously provided by Palisade Brewing Co.)
Virtual attendance available. Livestreaming access only, no audience participation available with this option.
