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Water Center Symposium The Colorado River Cooperative Agreement

Water Center Symposium The Colorado River Cooperative Agreement. Chris Treese, External Affairs Manager. October 31, 2011 Grand Junction, CO. Who Are Those Guys?. Colorado River District. 1937 state statute 15 western counties 28% of Colorado board director from each county

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Water Center Symposium The Colorado River Cooperative Agreement

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  1. Water Center Symposium The Colorado River Cooperative Agreement Chris Treese, External Affairs Manager October 31, 2011 Grand Junction, CO

  2. Who Are Those Guys?

  3. Colorado River District 1937 state statute 15 western counties 28% of Colorado board director from each county mill levy & water activity enterprise

  4. Today’s Challenge

  5. Status • On April 28, 2011, the Governor, DW and 34 WS entities announced the proposed agreement • No party is expected to approve the agreement until winter 2011/12 • Currently meeting with other agencies to implement the agreement

  6. Background • Decades of West Slope v Denver Water litigation – Unresolved issues • Pending Application for Additional TMD • West Slope Impacts of TMDs • Unknown Future

  7. Choices

  8. The Basics • Denver’s Moffat System has limited storage • Denver’s Dillon Reservoir is junior in priority to Green Mountain Reservoir • The Blue River Decrees was more of a shotgun wedding than a compromise; disputes remained to be resolved

  9. GOAL: Meet increasing demands with Stable or Decreasing supplies

  10. Denver Water Interests • Permitting and construction of Moffat expansion (Gross Reservoir enlargement) • Resolve Blue River Decree Issues • Environmental Stewardship • Participation in the WISE Project

  11. West Slope Interests • Resolve Blue River Decree issues • Streamflow protection and restoration • Water for future consumptive us • Protection of recreation assets • Long-term certainty re: TMDs

  12. New Approach

  13. “Radical” Ideas • Not permitting-based; focus on existing river conditions • Commitment to stream health • Basin-wide approach • Avoid litigation

  14. Key Provisions • Denver Water fixes its service area • Denver Water commits to further reuse and conservation • Denver Water provides $25 million and 1,000 acre feet of water for impacts • Denver Water allows for further consumptive use in Grand and Summit Counties

  15. Key Provisions (con’t) • Denver Water agrees to limit future WS projects to cooperative ones • All parties agree to Green Mountain administration settlement • All parties agree to support the WISE Project • Denver Water agrees to support the Shoshone Outage Protocol

  16. Shoshone Outage Protocol Natural Flow Actual Flow 1,250 cfs Reservoir Releases Flow Spring Summer Fall

  17. Key Provisions (con’t) • WISE Project and future water leases provide a West Slope revenue stream • West Slope and Denver Water agree to a Blue River Decree Settlement • Parties agree to a Grand County Streamflow Plan • Denver Water and contract holders agree to West Slope “abstentions”

  18. Division 5 Permanent Abstention • Abstain permanently from pursuing or participating in any project that would result in any new depletion from Water Division 5 above the confluence with the Gunnison River (except Eagle River MOU projects) without WS approval.

  19. Temporary Abstention • Abstain from pursuing or participating in any project that would result in diversions from Water Divisions 4 and 6, or downstream from the confluence of the Gunnison and Colorado Rivers in Division 5 for 25 years (which may be modified).

  20. Questions? www.ColoradoRiverDistrict.org

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