Rio Grande Basin Implementation plan overview

1. Rio Grande Basin Implementation planoverview DiNatale Water Consultants

2. Section 1 State Water Plan ProcessRio Grande Basin’s Organization • Based on CWCB Basin Implementation Plan Guidelines • Grassroots Process! • Rio Grande Basin Roundtable • BIP Steering Committee • BIP Subcommittees • Public Outreach • Water Administration • Agricultural • Municipal & Industrial • Environmental & Recreational

3. Outreach and Education(Section 7)

4. Section 2 IntroductionBackground and Reference for Entire Plan Geography Land Ownership Climate History Culture Demographics Economy Water Resources Water Administration Environmental & Recreational Attributes

5. Section 3 Rio Grande Basin Goals and Measurable Outcomes • 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

6. Section 3 Rio Grande Basin Goals and Measurable Outcomes • Rio Grande Compact Compliance • Sustainability • Agriculture • Aquifers • Watershed & Soil Health • Infrastructure • Protect water rights • Protect & restore riparian, wetlands & aquatic habitats • Promote multi-purpose projects

7. Water Administration • 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

8. 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

9. Agriculture • 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

10. Change in Aquifer Storage

11. Agricultural Constraints • 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

12. Environmental and Recreational • Watershed supports wildlife, recreation, agriculture and Compact deliveries • Diverse wetland and riparian systems • Critical habitat for many species • Waterways = high recreation and tourism values

13. Municipal and industrial • 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

14. 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

15. Over 85 percent of Forested Lands have Insects or Disease Beetle Kill

16. 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

17. Modeled Impacts on Future Hydrology

18. Typical Year of new hydrologic Inflows

19. Typical Year of new hydrologic Inflows

20. Typical Year of new hydrologic Inflows

21. 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

22. Project Sheets • 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 Beneficiaries

23. Example of how Projects Meet Basin Goals

24. Example Projects and Methods

25. Rio Grande Basin Implementation Plan & Colorado Plan • 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

26. 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 Methods • Next 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

27. Thank you! • Citizens of the Rio Grande Basin • Members of the Rio Grande Basin Roundtable • Volunteers who contributed countless hours on the Basin Implementation Plan • CWCB Board and Staff • DiNatale Water Consultants • www.riograndewaterplan.com