DiNatale Water Consultants

R I O G R A N D E B A S I N

I M P L E M E N TAT I O N P L A N

O V E R V I E W

Based on CWCB Basin Implementation Plan Guidelines

Grassroots Process!Rio Grande Basin RoundtableBIP Steering CommitteeBIP Subcommittees

Public Outreach Water Administration Agricultural Municipal & Industrial Environmental & Recreational

SECTION 1 STATE WATER PLAN PROCESS

RIO GRANDE BASIN’S ORGANIZATION

OUTREACH AND EDUCATION(SECTION 7)

Outreach Type Number of Events / Attendees

Location

General Community Outreach Sessions

7 Events87 Attendees Total

Basin Wide

County Commissioners Outreach Sessions

7 Events57 Attendees Total

Basin Wide

Group Outreach Sessions 9 Events314 Attendees Total

Basin Wide

Rio Grande Roundtable Meetings 7 Events>300 Attendees Total

Alamosa

Basin Plan Subcommittee Meetings

21 Total Events Alamosa

Newspaper Articles 11 written13 planned

Distributed Basin Wide

Radio Programs 5 complete7 planned

Aired Basin Wide

Water 101 Booklet Distributed Basin Wide

Website Accessible statewide

Action Plan for Education and Outreach Beyond 2014

Planned and Developed Basin Wide

Rio Grande Basin Long Range Outreach Strategies

Planned and Developed Basin Wide

Geography

Land Ownership

Climate

History

Culture

Demographics

Economy

Water Resources

Water Administration

Environmental

& Recreational Attributes

SECTION 2 INTRODUCTIONBACKGROUND AND REFERENCE FOR ENTIRE

PLAN

Goals and Measurable Outcomes (G/MO) Identified - 3 month process

12 Subcommittee & full RGBRT meetings

14 Goals

8 Goals meet needs of all sectors (Ag, M&I, Water Admin & Env/Rec)

Only two goals are single purpose: Env/Rec

SECTION 3 RIO GRANDE BASIN GOALS AND MEASURABLE

OUTCOMES

Rio Grande Compact Compliance

Sustainability Agriculture Aquifers Watershed

& Soil Health Infrastructure

Protect water rightsProtect & restore

riparian, wetlands & aquatic habitats

Promote multi-purpose projects

SECTION 3 RIO GRANDE BASIN GOALS AND MEASURABLE

OUTCOMES

Basin strictly administers Rio Grande Compact, hence avoiding Law Suits with downstream states

Water rights, even those senior to the Compact, are subject to curtailment

Groundwater Management Subdistricts

Well Rules and Regulations

WATER ADMINISTRATION

COMPACT CURTAILMENT OF DIVERSIONS A DAILY FACT OF LIFE

Compact curtailment requires on average 30 to 40% of index flows to be delivered to state line

Agriculture uses 99% of Basin’s water

Potatoes = $185 million per year

Highest value per acre production agriculture in Colorado

Agricultural direct revenues exceed $325 million per year

AGRICULTURE

Barley Alfalfa Hay Potatoes $-

$500

$1,000

$1,500

$2,000

$2,500

$3,000

$3,500

Comparison of 2010 Average Revenues by Crop

Revenue per Acre Revenue per AF of CU

CHANGE IN AQUIFER STORAGE

Agricultural community is taking action to form Groundwater Management Subdistricts

Replace depletions

Restore aquifer levels

Pending Well Rules and Regulations will profoundly affect the Basin’s economy

Initial projection will retire 40,000 irrigated acres in Subdistrict 1 to meet aquifer sustainability

AGRICULTURAL CONSTRAINTS

Watershed supports wildlife, recreation, agriculture and Compact deliveries

Diverse wetland and riparian systems

Critical habitat for many species

Waterways = high recreation and tourism values

ENVIRONMENTAL AND RECREATIONAL

Increased Municipal demand will be small

Aging infrastructure

Limited ability to finance rehabilitation or improve infrastructure

Municipalities pumping groundwater will have to augment depletions but maybe low

Increased Industrial demand will be small

MUNICIPAL AND INDUSTRIAL

CHALLENGES TO MEETING WATER NEEDS

(SECTION 5)Climate Change Studies suggest

Flows reduced by 33%

Earlier runoff

Dust on Snow will impact hydrology

Beetle kill and forest fires will impact hydrology

BEETLE KILL

Over 85 percent of Forested Lands have Insects or Disease

BASIN PLANNING MODEL

Considers changes in hydrology Dust on snow, beetle kill,

wildfire, climate change Identify potential critical

needs Impacts of reduction of

seasonal flows on water rights and aquatic and riparian habitats

Assist in decision making Help identify and prioritize

projects Water management

opportunities

Dust on SnowBeetle Kill - red and

grey phasesForest Fires -

immediate impactClimate Change

Impact on Timing of Runoff Flow / Peak Runoff

Impact on Volume of Runoff Flow

Impact on Snow Accumulation

NO IMPACT

Impact on Water Infiltration

NO IMPACT

Impact on Timing of Snow Disappearance

Source of Data

Deems et al. 2013 and personal conver. Chris Landry (5/19/2014)

Gordon, Pugh, and Livneh

Gleason et al. 2012, Neary et al. 2011,

Llewellyn 2011

EARLIER EARLIER EARLIEREARLIER

EARLIER EARLIER EARLIEREARLIER

MIX

MIX

Modeled Impacts on Future Hydrology

TYPICAL YEAR OF NEW HYDROLOGIC INFLOWS

TYPICAL YEAR OF NEW HYDROLOGIC INFLOWS

TYPICAL YEAR OF NEW HYDROLOGIC INFLOWS

GIVEN THE LIKELY FUTURE, WHAT IS OUR ACTION PLAN?

Improve water management within constraints of Rio Grande Compact and Colorado Water Law

Retime compact and other deliveries for multiple benefits

Bring surface and ground water into balance

Restore aquifers

Agricultural improvements: optimize production and minimize consumptive use

Improve watershed and soil health

Protect and restore riparian areas and wetlands

Maintain and improve infrastructure

Reservoirs and diversion structures

Municipal

Project Name Location and Map Sponsor(s) Uses / Needs Met BIP Goals / Needs Met Description and Picture Estimate Project Costs

(2014) Potential Funding

Collaboration / Sources Project Timeline &

Budget WSRA Funding Project Benefi ciaries

PROJECT SHEETS

Project or Method TYPES

Needs Met Basin Goals MetAg M&I Env/

RecWater Admi

n

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14

Rio Grande Cooperative Project X X X X                      Trujillo Meadows ATM Project X X X                    Jim Creek Riparian Protection and Restoration Project

X   X                      

Formation of Remaining Subdistricts

X X X X            

Acquisition of Replacement Supplies for Pumping Depletions

X X X X            

Retirement of Irrigated Lands Necessary to Comply with Aquifer Sustainability Rules

X X X X                  

Alternative Cropping Education and Promotion Program

X   X                  

Restoration of West Fork Complex Fire Burned Areas 

X X X X                

Basin-wide Water Public Education Program

X X X X        

Streamflow Forecast Improvements

X X X X                

Rio Grande Initiative Conservation Easements

X   X X                  

Rio Grande Headwaters Restoration Project

X X X X        

EXAMPLE OF HOW PROJECTS MEET BASIN GOALS

EXAMPLE PROJECTS AND METHODS

Project SponsorCost Years

Total (000) 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018

Doppler Radar Weather Forecasting Project

RWEACT, CWCB, USFS, NWS

$375.0 $62.5 $62.5 $62.5 $62.5 $62.5 $62.5

Jim Creek Riparian Protection and Restoration Project

Conejos County, TU, State Land

Board, Colorado Mountain Club, Volunteers for

Outdoor Colorado

$30.0   $10.0 $10.0 $10.0    

Mountain Home Reservoir Dam Repair

Trinchera Irrigation Company

$500.0     $270.0 $230.0    

Rio Culebra Community Watershed Plan

Sange de Cristo Acequia

Association$200.0            

Rio Grande Cooperative Project

SLVID, CPW $22,000.0   $1,625.0 $1,625.0 $9,625.0 $9,125.0  

Rio Grande Cutthroat Trout County Coalition Project

Colorado Counties of Hinsdale, Mineral, Rio

Grande, Conejos, Costilla, Alamosa,

Saguache, Archuleta, San Juan, and Las

Animas

$21.0   $11.0 $5.0 $5.0    

Rio Grande Basin Roundtable supports the development of the Colorado Water Plan

Rio Grande Basin supports concepts developed by IBCC of the framework of an agreement on how a transmountain diversion project from west slope to front range could potentially move forward

RIO GRANDE BASIN IMPLEMENTATION PLAN

& COLORADO PLAN

OUR PATH FORWARD

The written draft Plan is not end goal, but beginning of next phase!

Continued communication, education and public outreach

Develop and implement Projects and MethodsNext steps:

Disseminate printed copies of the Draft BIP, hold public meetings and solicit feedback

Refine basin planning model and make model runs in response to requests

Resolve concerns with conflicting data sources Refine Projects and Methods Finalize Plan

Citizens of the Rio Grande BasinMembers of the Rio Grande Basin RoundtableVolunteers who contributed countless hours on the

Basin Implementation PlanCWCB Board and StaffDiNatale Water Consultants

www.riograndewaterplan.com

THANK YOU!