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State releases final version of Colorado Water Plan

Colorado now has a plan for its water supply future, motivated by the prediction of state population doubling to around 10 million people by 2050. The plan was released on Nov. 19. It contains well over 400 pages.

It was initiated in May 2013 by an executive order from Gov. John Hickenlooper. Community meetings were held around the state, including several in Durango, to review the plan as it was developed by the Colorado Water Conservation Board (CWCB), nine water basin roundtables which submitted their own sometimes conflicting implementation plans, and a statewide Inter Basin Compact Committee (IBCC).

The plan touts this effort as "the largest civic engagement process in our state's history." It asserts, "If we are wise stewards of our water resources, Colorado has enough water to meet our state's future needs."

Water diversions from the West Slope to Front Range metro areas were a hot issue through the process, along with "buy and dry" on the eastern plains, suburban water providers buying up ag water and taking it off the land. The plan stresses the need for water interests to collaborate on win-win projects instead of spending money on legal battles. In-fighting weakens the state's position with out of state interests that want more water and "invites unnecessary federal intervention in our water affairs," the plan says.

The plan includes a conceptual framework to govern any future proposals for transmountain diversions. It was drafted by the IBCC to address concerns between West Slope and Front Range water roundtables and was approved by the CWCB during a meeting at Sky Ute Casino in July.

Its provisions include that any future diversions would be administered under the state's prior appropriations system, and water could only be diverted when it is physically and legally available in priority in the basin of origin. The framework lists triggers (criteria) that must be met before a new diversion, to protect existing uses from a compact deficit, a shortfall of water legally required to be delivered to downstream states. In a compact deficit, someone has to make up that difference.

The plan introduction says, "The CWCB will ensure that this conceptual framework is implemented by playing an active role in brokering agreements among parties on transmountain water. In this role, the State will promote eastern slope - western slope cooperation as well as consideration of interstate compacts in any transmountain diversion discussions."

The plan includes primers on state water history and water law and notes that 80 to 90 percent of state population is east of the Continental Divide while 70 to 80 percent of water falls west of the divide. Twenty-four tunnels and ditches move an average 500,000 acre feet of water per year from the west to east slope.

The plan aims to eliminate a projected 2050 municipal and industrial water supply gap of as much as 560,000 acre feet to zero by 2030. It calls for 400,000 acre feet of municipal and industrial water conservation along with adding 400,000 acre feet of storage by 2050. It sets an objective for 2025 that 75 percent of state residents will live in communities that have incorporated water saving actions into land use planning.

The plan also aims for agricultural productivity to keep pace with state, national, and global needs even if some acres go out of production; and by 2030 to address water quality issues with stream management and watershed protection plans.

Sustainable funding for plan implementation is another objective. It says, "the State will investigate options to raise additional revenue in the amount of $100 million annually ($3 billion by 2050) starting in 2020." CWCB would start this with $50 million from the Severance Tax Perpetual Fund. CWCB proposes to use this money to establish a repayment guarantee fund to help finance projects, also a green bond fund for large scale environmental and recreational projects.

Using these funds as proposed, the plan says, "an initial $50 million investment could leverage half a billion dollars of regional projects."

Education to improve public awareness of water issues is the final objective, for better decision making about balanced water solutions.

The plan introduction lists steps that can be taken immediately:

Proactively protect the state's interstate water interests; apply and strengthen the doctrine of prior appropriation.

Stress that every water conversation starts with conservation and includes water storage.

Investigate options to raise additional revenue to help implement the plan, with an estimated $20 billion needed over the next 30 years for water supply, infrastructure, recreation, and the environment.

Coordinate water uses and encourage projects that provide multiple benefits, including environmental flows, irrigation that also improves wildlife habitat, recreation, and interstate water compact compliance.

Increase efficiency and effectiveness of water project permitting while properly mitigating negative environmental impacts.

Strengthen outreach and education to the general public about water issues.

The plan's objectives, goals, and critical action steps are consolidated in the plan's chapter 10. While this was released as the final plan, it can have ongoing updates.

On the Net

Colorado Water Plan: www.coloradowaterplan.com.