Products / Project record
| Property | Value |
| Name | Colorado River Water Availability Study Phase I Draft |
| Release Year | 2010 |
| Primary Author | Organization
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| Additional Authors | Organizations
Projects
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| Description | Colorado faces increasing demands on its water supply for both traditional consumptive (agriculture, municipal, industrial, commercial and other) uses and for non-consumptive (recreational and environmental) uses. Population growth, recent drought, energy development, and potential climate change generate concern about the adequacy of Colorado’s water supplies. The Colorado River Water Availability Study (the Study or CRWAS) was authorized by SB 07-122 and HB 08-1346 of the Colorado General Assembly. These bills direct the Colorado Water Conservation Board (CWCB) to conduct the Study 1) in collaboration with the Interbasin Compact Committee (IBCC) and the State’s river ”basin roundtables” (BRTs) and 2) with consideration for current and potential future in-basin consumptive and non-consumptive needs. The CWCB, working closely with the IBCC, concluded that the Study be conducted in two phases, with Phase I (the subject of this report) presenting a water availability assessment based only on existing levels of water use. For Phase I, water uses (also referred to as water demands) were limited to current levels of water demands served by water rights that are currently being used (“perfected” or “absolute” water rights). Phase I is also restricted to interpretations of current operating and management practices for water diversion, storage and conveyance facilities. Assessments of water availability to meet future water needs are reserved for Phase II of the CRWAS.The draft Scope of Work for Phase I posed the following types of questions to help guide the Study: How much water from the Colorado River Basin System is available to meet Colorado's water needs? What is a reasonable base of existing uses for Phase I of the CRWAS? How does historical hydrology compare to a longer hydrologic trace based on tree ring analysis? What is a reasonable projection for hydrology affected by climate change? How much water is available to Colorado for future consumptive use given certain compact assumptions? |
| Sectors | |
| Source | State Government |
| Keywords | Colorado River, Upper Basin, Lower Basin, Hydrology, Storage, Streamflow, Irrigation, Temperature, Climate Change, Adaptation |
| Homepage | http://cwcb.state.co.us/ |
AMEC Earth & Environmental
