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Colorado Water Resources Overview for Journalists

Explore historic stream flows data, water management laws, and interstate compacts in Colorado. Learn about water rights, administration, aquifer systems, and major river compacts affecting the state.

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Colorado Water Resources Overview for Journalists

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  1. Law School for Journalists Colorado Bar Association Ken Knox Division of Water Resources March 13, 2007

  2. COLORADO HISTORIC AVERAGE ANNUAL STREAM FLOWS (acre feet) 6 1 5 2 4 3 7 403,400 311,100 111,800 414,300 404,600 265,800 LARAMIE LITTLE SNAKE 99,500 ELK NO. PLATTE 1,127,000 875,600 1,531,000 YAMPA CACHE LA POUDRE 634,500 158,800 334,400 SOUTH PLATTE ST. VRAIN 45,590 476,300 31,680 WHITE 404,400 54,760 85,540 229,200 NORTH FORK REPUBLICAN BOULDER 204,400 555,200 27,700 329,200 PICEANCE 50,050 185,200 BLUE 33,760 EAST TOWARD ATLANTIC OCEAN 1,373,000 af 413,200 28,750 BEAR EAGLE 270,500 WEST TOWARD PACIFIC OCEAN 8,867,450 af SOUTH FORK REPUBLICAN 879,800 NO. FORK At Benkelman, NE ROARING FORK 126,800 COLORADO 58,146 2,799,000 88,051 63,038 279,700 4,500,000 NO. FORK 330,500 547,300 1,872,000 943,000 505,600 FOUNTAIN 69,750 528,200 699,200 219,800 GUNNISON 125,100 DOLORES ARKANSAS 89,820 172,000 TOMICHI 164,200 GRAPE UNCOMPAHGRE 26,930 SAN MIGUEL 24,933 394,300 HUERFANO 18,970 653,300 47,020 153,000 APISHAPA 96,300 313,200 PURGATOIRE RIO GRANDE 152,600 593,600 SOUTH FORK McELMO 291,200 37,100 49,640 31,890 PIEDRA CONEJOS 322,100 ANIMAS & FLORIDA LOS PINOS LA PLATA MANCOS SAN JUAN SAN JUAN - CHAMA 235,800 268,600 25,580 36,890 446,900 + 291,200 94,180 173,700 TOTAL LEAVING COLORADO 10,240,500 af 670,100 Prepared by the Hydrographic Branch (2003 Revision) Historic averages obtained from USGS Water-Data Report CO-02 OFFICE OF THE STATE ENGINEER COLORADO DIVISION OF WATER RESOURCES

  3. 400,000 310,000 110,000 N. PLATTE LARAMIE 1,530,000 YAMPA SOUTH PLATTE WHITE 560,000 4,500,000 COLORADO 510,000 GUNNISON ARKANSAS 164,000 DOLORES RIO GRANDE EAST SLOPE Population: 3,869,000 Irrigated Acres: 2,270,000 WEST SLOPE Population: 467,000 Irrigated Acres: 880,000 SAN JUAN 320,000 1,780,000 2000 PopulationIrrigated Acres and Flows

  4. Water Management and Allocation Water Rights • Surface water rights from rivers and streams • Reservoir storage rights • Ground water rights Interstate River Compacts

  5. Colorado’s Water Right System Colorado uses the Prior Appropriation Doctrine which means those that first put water to use are entitled to get their water first during periods of water shortage. In Colorado water is a separate property right - that is it can be sold separately from the land. This is in contrast to the Riparian Doctrine that exists in the eastern part of the United States which recognizes water rights as being attached to the land.

  6. Water Administration • Water Allocation • 173,000 Water Rights • 105,000 Structures • 400,000 observations • 30,000 water diversions and storage records • 1500 court consultations • 50 court litigation • 420 subdivision review • 217 Substitute Water Supply Plans

  7. In 1879, Colorado established Water Commissioners to distribute water rights in priority based upon principle of “First In Time... First In Right”

  8. Reservoir Storage * August 20, 2002 • 1990 – 2001: 49 new dams with a combined storage of 120,000 acre-feet • Division 2: Two Buttes 31,500 AF and Cucharas 33,000 AF; very expensive reconstruction necessary

  9. Major Aquifer Systems

  10. GROUND WATER USE

  11. 18 States Rely on Colorado Water

  12. Interstate Compacts Colorado River Compact - 1922 La Plata River Compact - 1922 South Platte River Compact - 1923 Rio Grande River Compact - 1938 Republican River Compact - 1942 Costilla Creek Compact - 1944 (Rev. 1963) Upper Colorado River Compact - 1948 Arkansas River Compact - 1948 Animas-La Plata Project Compact - 1969 U.S. Supreme Court Cases Nebraska v. Wyoming - 325 U.S. 589 (1945) Wyoming v. Colorado - 353 U.S. 953 (1957)

  13. INTERNATIONAL AND INTERSTATE DOCUMENTS AFFECTING COLORADO’S USE OF WATER International Treaties Mexican Treaty on Rio Grande, Tijuana, and Colorado’s Rivers – 1945 1906 Convention with Mexico on the Rio Grande above Ft. Quitman, Texas

  14. STATE OF COLORADO INTERSTATE COMPACTSMethods of Allocating Water Among States • Allocationof a portion of the long-term undepleted basin water supply to each state on the basis of consumptive use (man-made depletions) • Colorado River Compact - Acre-feet per year of depletions • Republican River Compact - Acre-feet per year of depletions • Delivery of a portion of an indexed supply to the stateline • Rio Grande Compact - Variable index and delivery obligation for calendar year • La Plata River Compact - One-half of indexed flow to stateline the next day • Application of Doctrine of Prior Appropriation across stateline • Costilla Creek Compact • South Platte River Compact

  15. Thank You http://www.water.state.co.us/

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