Water Supply Challenges Continue in Colorado River Basin

“Although water year 2022 is much better than last year, that is not saying much.”

-Andy Mueller, General Manager

On July 19 and 20, 2022, the Colorado River District Board of Directors will meet in Glenwood Springs for the Third Quarterly General and Enterprise meeting of 2022. Along with updates from staff, Directors will receive reports about other topics relevant to West Slope water.

Big River

Headlines about the Western water crisis abound in publications across the country. In fact, with the recent announcement from the Bureau of Reclamation that the seven Colorado River Basin states must develop a plan to conserve between two- and four-million-acre feet over the next two years, subjects like the Colorado River Compact are becoming mainstream. Comprehensive information about the current state of Colorado River Basin will provide critical context for future board decisions.

Hydrology

Rain has been falling across the Western Slope thanks to the early arrived ‘monsoon’ season. Precipitation from these storms has varied from just a few drops to historic deluges causing significant flash flood events. How much is this water actually helping our current drought situation? While soil moisture has certainly improved in many regions across the fifteen counties of the Colorado River District, is it enough to make a long-term impact?

Director of Science and Interstate Matters Dave Kanzer and Sr. Water Resources Engineer Don Meyer will present a thorough look at the impacts of these monsoons, and will report on the current state of reservoirs locally and across the region.

Community Funding Partnership

At next week’s meeting, Amy Moyer, Director of Strategic Partnerships, will present two new potential Community Funding Partnership projects with staff recommendations for board approval. Grant applications of more than $50,000 require board approval, while applications for less than $50,000 may be approved by the General Manager. Since the Second Quarterly meeting last April, five projects have been approved ‘in house,’ with awards totaling $206,250.

The Board of Directors will also receive an update about the newly launched Accelerator Grant program within the Community Funding Partnership. This timely grant opportunity was designed to support in-District water users as they build competitive grant applications for Federal money available through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.