Review of the Draft South Platte Basin Implementation Plan

1. Review of the Draft South Platte Basin Implementation Plan CWCB Meeting - July 16, 2014 Rangely, Colorado

2. 5 Plan Elements 6 Alternative Portfolios 7 Summary 1 South Platte Overview 2 Overarching Themes & Goals 3 The South Platte Vision 4 Challenges 2

3. 1 South Platte Overview

4. South Platte Basin Overview – Diverse Needs • Municipal • Industrial • Agricultural • Environmental • Recreational

5. Municipal and Industrial Water Needs • The east slope is home to 80% of the State’s population (the Metro and South Platte Basin account for about 70%) • Large industries include energy production, manufacturing, brewing, and food processing • Power generation at coal and natural gas fired facilities

6. Municipal & Industrial (M&I) Water Supply Gap in the South Platte Basin 2050 Gap Existing Supply *Based on SWSI 2010 Medium Water Demands

7. Agricultural Water Needs • 1.4 million acres of irrigated land • Seven of top ten agricultural producing counties in the State • Represents approximately 75% of agricultural sales statewide • Processing of West Slope agricultural products

8. Agricultural Water Shortages (2050) Gap 262,000 AFY Gap 160,000 AFY *Based on SWSI 2010 Agricultural Needs Projections

9. Environmental and Recreational • Enjoyment of environmental and recreational values • South Platte Basin is a gateway to tourism throughout the State • South Platte Basin is home to the most visited State Parks • Environment and recreational opportunities important to quality of life • Various Attributes of Importance within the Basin • State endangered, threatened, or species of special concern • Important Riparian Habitat • Migratory Bird Viewing/Hunting • Fishing (including Gold Medal fisheries) • Recreation (including skiing and whitewater and flatwater boating)

10. 2 Overarching Themes & Goals

11. Overarching Themes for South Platte BIP • “A Good Colorado Plan Needs a Good South Platte Plan” • Solutions must be pragmatic, balanced, and consistent with Colorado law and property rights • The South Platte River Basin will continue its leadership role in efficient use and management of water • A balanced program is needed to investigate, preserve, and develop Colorado River options

12. Eight Goals and Measureable Outcomes • Agriculture • Municipal Water Conservation, Reuse and Efficiency • Identified Projects and Processes • South Platte Storage and Other Infrastructure • Water Quality • New Colorado River Supply • Environmental and Recreational • Statewide - Long-term

13. 3 The South Platte Vision

14. The South Platte Vision – Meeting the Municipal Supply Gap • Successful IPPs • Conservation and reuse • Multipurpose projects • Storage, additional conveyance and system integration • Environmental and recreational protections and enhancements • Agricultural transfer – through ATMs where feasible • New Colorado River supply

15. The South Platte Vision – Future Agricultural Production • Minimize the impacts of traditional dry-up • Encourage continued agricultural production and restoration of curtailed production • Integrated development of new Colorado River Supply

16. The South Platte Vision – Protecting Environmental and Recreational Attributes • Identify and implement attribute-specific projects to enhance environmental and recreational attributes • Encourage cooperative projects to enhance environmental and recreational attributes • Encourage funding and cooperation • Promote cooperative storage for environmental and recreational needs

17. The South Platte Vision – Collaborative Statewide Approach • The Roundtables envision that if state water project(s) are considered they would: • Supply water to communities with enhanced levels of conservation & reuse • Provide environmental and recreational enhancements for both east and west slopes

18. 4 Challenges

19. 16 Major Challenges in Meeting the Gaps • Lack of unappropriated water • Needs have long exceeded the native supplies • Degree of successive water use • Limitations on additional water reuse • Further reductions in per-capita consumption are limited • Additional use of Denver Basin Aquifer water • Opportunity for groundwater storage • Use of the South Platte alluvial aquifer

20. 16 Major Challenges in Meeting the Gaps • Republican River Basin water use constraints • Programs to manage and recover protected species and their habitats • Water quality management • Time and cost for regulatory decisions on new water projects • Diverse environmental and recreational water needs and concerns • Vulnerability to water service disruptions • Opportunities for further system interconnections • Roles of elected officials, business community and the general public in water supply planning

21. The Challenges Drive the Solutions 16 Major Challenges in Meeting the Gap South Platte BIP 10 Plan Elements for the South Platte BIP

22. 5 Plan Elements

23. 1. Maximize Implementation of Identified Projects and Processes

24. M&I Medium Scenario Gap Gap Medium Success IPPs (60%) Existing Supply

25. M&I Gap by County IPPs Remaining Gap

26. 2. Maintain Leadership in M&I Conservation and Reuse • South Platte Basin municipalities are among the national leaders in water conservation • South Platte Basin municipalities are pursuing even more aggressive conservation goals

27. 2. Maintain Leadership in M&I Conservation and Reuse • Reuse is being pursued by nearly all water providers • Opportunities for future reuse in Metro and South Platte are limited due to regulatory and supply constraints “South Platte River Basin will continue its Leadership Role in Efficient Use and Management of Water”

28. 3. Maximize effective use of South Platte Supplies • Develop new multipurpose projects • Effectively use tributary and non-tributary groundwater • Explore further integration of supply systems

29. 4. Minimize traditional agricultural buy and dry – use ATMs where practical • Historically, traditional agricultural transfers (“buy and dry”) between willing buyers and sellers to meet M&I demands • Alternative Transfer Methods (ATMs) • Minimize impact on local economy • Minimize societal impacts • Minimize environmental and recreational impacts • Provide funding sources for agricultural users • Optimize both agricultural and nonagricultural benefits • Pilot projects underway through CWCB’s ATM Grant Program • While promising, there are numerous technical, legal, institutional and financial issues that need to be addressed

30. 5. Protect and enhance environmental and recreational attributes Types of projects: • Instream flow and lake level • Channel restoration • Stewardship • Species reintroduction • Cooperative and multipurpose projects 30

31. 5. Protect and enhance environmental and recreational attributes • Municipal and Industrial Projects • Agricultural Dry-up • Reduction of return flows impacting environmental and recreational attributes • Alternative Transfer Methods • Multi-Purpose Projects • Storage • Recharge • Diversion Modification or Reoperation • Trans-Basin Projects • Enhancement and/or reduction of streamflows • Benefits and impacts to wetlands and other wildlife habitat 31

32. 5. Protect and enhance environmental and recreational attributes Regions Identified by BRTs – Project Examples Lower Northern High Plains Metro Region Upper Mountain

33. 5. Protect and enhance environmental and recreational attributes Regions Identified by BRTs – Project Examples • Upper Mountain Region • Attributes: • Rare and Significant Plant Species • Boating • Fishing • Projects • Stewardship • Channel and Riparian Corridor Restoration

34. 5. Protect and enhance environmental and recreational attributes Regions Identified by BRTs – Project Examples • Metro Region • Attributes: • Recreational Corridors • Riparian Habitat • Fish Habitat • Projects • Greenway Projects • Stream Channel Restoration • Stewardship • Species Reintroduction

35. 5. Protect and enhance environmental and recreational attributes Regions Identified by BRTs – Project Examples • Northern Region • Attributes: • Recreational Boating • Plains Fish Species • Wild and Scenic • Projects • Facilities Modification • Stream Channel Restoration • Fish Passage

36. 5. Protect and enhance environmental and recreational attributes Regions Identified by BRTs – Project Examples • Lower South Platte Region • Attributes: • Plains Fish Species • Waterfowl Hunting/Viewing • Flatwater Boating • Riparian Habitat • Projects • Species Reintroduction • Cooperative Recharge Projects • Reservoirs • Stewardship and Land Conservation

37. 6. Simultaneously advance new Colorado River supply options • South Platte and Metro RTs support on-going IBCC discussions • South Platte Alternative Concepts include: • A single, larger project: various configurations of Flaming Gorge, Green River and Yampa River projects • Smaller or incremental projects • BRTs do not support the default agricultural transfer only plan • Seek to develop balanced, integrated plan including Colorado River projects and agricultural transfers for the overall benefit of Colorado “A Balanced Program is needed to Plan and Preserve Colorado River Options”

38. 7. Manage risk of climate change impacts • Resilient water storage and conveyance infrastructure • Use of safety factors • Evaluate potential system vulnerabilities • Collaborative, regional approaches (such as WISE)

39. 8. Facilitate effective South Platte communication and outreach programs Suggested Activities: • Develop consistent message to describe water supply gaps • Leverage communication professionals • Complement existing state efforts • Develop and maintain basin-specific tools and approaches • Establish success metrics

40. 9. Research new technologies and strategies • Make use of lower quality water sources: • Blending strategies and advanced water treatment technologies • Research and develop new technologies • Participating Agencies: • Colorado Water Conservation Board • WSRA Statewide Fund • Metro RT WSRA Fund • South Platte RT WSRA Fund • Arkansas RT WSRA Fund • Metro Wastewater Reclamation District • City of Aurora • City of Brighton • East Cherry Creek Valley WSD • City of La Junta • Northern Water • South Adams County WSD • Arapahoe County Water and Wastewater Authority Colorado Zero Liquid Discharge

41. 10. Advocate for improvements to federal and state permitting processes Goals: • Save public money • Provide same assurance of quality and due diligence • Retain existing environmental protections • Provide greater efficiency, predictability, and consistency in the permitting process

42. 6 Alternative Portfolios

43. Alternative South Platte Portfolios • Portfolio A: In-basin portfolio with only traditional buy and dry • Portfolio B: In-basin portfolio with IPPs at 60% success, ATMs, multipurpose/cooperative projects, and traditional agricultural transfers • Portfolio C: A balanced portfolio with in-basin methods and new Colorado River supplies (150,000 AF)

44. Alternative South Platte Portfolios

45. Alternative South Platte Portfolios – Additional Conservation

46. Alternative South Platte Portfolios – Climate Change

47. 7 Summary

48. Overarching Themes for South Platte BIP • “A Good Colorado Plan Needs a Good South Platte Plan” • Solutions must be pragmatic, balanced, and consistent with Colorado law and property rights • The South Platte River Basin will continue its leadership role in efficient use and management of water • A balanced program is needed to investigate, preserve, and develop Colorado River options

49. Questions and Comments from the Board?