Filling the Gap. Commonsense Solutions for Meeting Front Range Water Needs Executive Summary. Preface: Planning for Colorado s Water Future

Size: px

Start display at page:

Download "Filling the Gap. Commonsense Solutions for Meeting Front Range Water Needs Executive Summary. Preface: Planning for Colorado s Water Future"

Jocelin Bates
5 years ago
Views:

Builing an improving on the State Water Supply Initiative 2010, this wellwritten report outlines a strategy for economically meeting Front Range municipal water emans to 2050 while protecting

Chuck Howe, Professor Emeritus of Economics, University of Colorao, Bouler Filling the Gap Commonsense Solutions for Meeting Front Range Water Nees Executive Summary Preface: Planning for

Colorao s millions of people, its lanscape, its fish an willife, an its farms an factories all epen on water. Coloraans place great value on this scarce resource.

quality of life. Sustaining Colorao s lifestyle an economy emans that we preserve the state s waterways.

1 Builing an improving on the State Water Supply Initiative 2010, this wellwritten report outlines a strategy for economically meeting Front Range municipal water emans to 2050 while protecting Front Range streamflows an avoiing further West Slope iversions. Chuck Howe, Professor Emeritus of Economics, University of Colorao, Bouler Filling the Gap Commonsense Solutions for Meeting Front Range Water Nees Executive Summary Preface: Planning for Colorao s Water Future Folks in Colorao have plenty to be thankful for an water is right at the heart of it all. Colorao s millions of people, its lanscape, its fish an willife, an its farms an factories all epen on water. Coloraans place great value on this scarce resource. Whether it falls from the sky as rain or snow, an whether it ens up as part of an ear of corn, a bottle of beer, or instream habitat for trout, water is essential to Colorao s exceptional quality of life. Sustaining Colorao s lifestyle an economy emans that we preserve the state s waterways. Healthy rivers an streams support a iversity of fish, willife, an ecosystems, an raw resients an visitors to the state s worl-famous natural areas. Colorao s rivers provie gol-meal trout fisheries an whitewater recreation, an are focal points for urban greenways in communities from Fort Collins to Durango an from Steamboat Springs to Pueblo. Healthy waterways are key to Colorao s outoor tourism inustry, which injects billions of ollars into the economy each year, an to attracting new businesses to the state. All

2 of this is at risk, however, unless ecision-makers in Colorao shift to more innovative, balance approaches for supplying water to a growing population while sustaining Colorao s rivers an streams. Colorao is a semi-ari state that receives average annual precipitation of only 16 inches. Many rivers an streams are baly eplete as a result of ams an iversion structures that eliver water to farms, factories, an cities. Developing aitional water supplies to provie for a growing population threatens to further stress rivers an streams, preventing them from aequately proviing their important environmental an biological functions. Colorao s Water Conservation Boar (CWCB) an Interbasin Compact Committee (IBCC), local communities, an citizens rountables at the river basin level are engage in a water supply planning process known as the Statewie Water Supply Initiative (SWSI). The SWSI effort is intene to answer the important questions of how much water Colorao will nee in the future an how these nees can be met. The most recent SWSI report title SWSI 2010 forecasts the nee to provie an aitional 365,000 acre-feet of water by 2050 to the fast-growing municipal an inustrial sectors along the Front Range of the South Platte River Basin. Face with this projecte nee, the CWCB an IBCC, together with several basin rountables, are evising plans for meeting the 2050 Front Range eman. Four strategies are being consiere Ientifie Projects an Processes (IPPs), increase water conservation, transfer of irrigation water from the agricultural sector to municipalities, an large-scale iversions of water from Colorao s Western Slope to the Front Range. Scenarios for meeting new nees are being evelope base on implementation of varying levels of each of the four strategies. Unfortunately, too much attention in this planning effort falls on ol, 20th century tools for supplying water large ams an iversions, pumps an pipelines, an other structural projects that are often environmentally amaging. As stakeholers in the planning process, Western Resource Avocates, Trout Unlimite, an the Colorao Environmental Coalition recognize the importance of preparing for our water future. However, we are also concerne that many traitional water supply strategies have resulte in averse impacts to rivers an streams an their associate environmental, recreational, an economic values. Rather than continuing ol patterns, 21st century water evelopment must account for instream flow nees, minimize the averse environmental impacts of water supply strategies, an even improve stream flows or other environmental conitions on streams that are alreay eplete. These new challenges require new ways of thinking an new tools. In a 2005 report calle Facing Our Future: A Balance Water Solution for Colorao, we articulate a proactive approach for meeting water nees in the South Platte an Arkansas River Basins while protecting Colorao s environment an quality of life. Facing Our Future highlighte cost-effective an common-sense opportunities for growing municipal areas to meet future water nees through water conservation, reuse, an sharing agreements with irrigators. We lai out a set of principles that must guie ecisions regaring new water supply in this state. In that pages that follow, we buil on the smart water supply principles establishe in Facing Our Future an employing upate an wiely accepte ata offer a realistic, balance water supply portfolio that meets the projecte nees in the South Platte Basin s Front Range communities while protecting Colorao s waterways, economy, an quality of life. As we escribe, by eveloping select structural water projects, implementing increase water conservation an water reuse projects, an integrating agricultural an municipal water supply systems to allow for increase sharing arrangements, the Front Range of the South Platte Basin can meet its 2050 water nees at a reasonable ii Filling the Gap: Commonsense Solutions for Meeting Front Range Water Nees Executive Summary

cost without environmentally amaging water supply evelopments. The Front Range shoul pursue the strategies we recommen now, as they all have an important role to play in meeting our future water nees.

3 cost without environmentally amaging water supply evelopments. The Front Range shoul pursue the strategies we recommen now, as they all have an important role to play in meeting our future water nees. Just as we once put own the ivining ros an foun new ways for proviing water supplies, toay we must look beyon ol ways of thinking an fin innovative tools to meet new challenges. The time is now for the state of Colorao an local water proviers to embrace new water supply strategies that meet our consumptive water use nees while sustaining the non-consumptive, instream flows that keep our rivers an streams healthy. The methos an ieas lai out in this report shoul guie choices that are mae as we embark on this new era of water supply. Tubers enjoy the Yampa River near owntown Steamboat Springs. Photo: Matt Stenslan/Steamboat Pilot an Toay. We will not successfully solve 21 st Century water management challenges in Colorao using 19 th an 20 th Century institutions an approaches. This is especially true in our State where heightene competition for over-allocate water resources by iniviual users or sectors is increasingly unprouctive there is not enough water! The use of multi-objective portfolio approaches is consiere to be one of the most constructive options we have available if we are to protect an enhance environmental values while proviing aequate an reliable water services to municipalities, inustries, an farms. Peter Binney, Director of Sustainable Infrastructure, Merrick & Company, former Director of Aurora Water Filling the Gap: Commonsense Solutions for Meeting Front Range Water Nees Executive Summary iii

1,400,000 Water emans (af) 1,200,000 1,000,000 800,000 600,000 400,000 Projecte eman existing Supply ag/urb reuse Conservation apps 200,000 0 2000 2010 2020 2030 2040 2050 While

4 Figure es 1 Our POrtFOliO FOr meeting FrOnt range Water emans. Our balance portfolio of water supply strategies more than fills projecte nees in South Platte Basin Front Range communities while protecting Colorao s environment. 1,400,000 Water emans (af) 1,200,000 1,000, , , ,000 Projecte eman existing Supply ag/urb reuse Conservation apps 200, While current planning efforts still lean towars traitional measures for supplying water, Colorao can chart a new, innovative path forwar that protects our rivers, streams, an local communities. Majestic bull elk in spring velvet. A fine catch. iv Filling the Gap: Commonsense Solutions for Meeting Front Range Water Nees Executive Summary

5 Executive Summary growing Water emans Nearly 70% of Colorao s population is concentrate on the eastern sie of the state in the South Platte River Basin along the Front Range a ban of cities an communities locate immeiately east of the Rocky Mountains. Accoring to state projections, the population of the 11 Front Range counties of the South Platte Basin is projecte to grow by 2.5 million people between 2008 an 2050, for a total of close to 5.8 million resients by These new resients will rive eman for aitional municipal water supply. Accounting for passive reuctions in per capita use as ol an inefficient appliances an fixtures are graually replace over time, emans for the 5.8 million resients an inustry along the Front Range will be approximately 1.06 million acre-feet in 2050 an increase of 365,000 acre-feet annually compare to toay s water nees. While current planning efforts still lean towars traitional measures for supplying water ams an iversions, pumps an pipelines, an other structural projects Colorao can chart a new, innovative path forwar that protects our rivers, streams, an local communities. Our Water management Portfolio for meeting Future nees rivers an natural heritage, Western Resource Avocates, Trout Unlimite, an the Colorao Environmental Coalition believe it is imperative for water planning to account for instream flow nees an to minimize the averse environmental impacts of water supply strategies. In the pages that follow, we offer our view of a water supply scenario that more than fills projecte nees in South Platte Basin Front Range communities while protecting Colorao s environment an economy (Figure ES- 1). Importantly, our portfolio meets future nees without the large, costly, an environmentally amaging transbasin iversions that have been a hallmark of traitional water supply planning. Acceptable Planne Projects There is a subset of the state s Ientifie Projects an Processes (IPPs) that we coul accept if esigne an implemente pursuant to our smart principles. In this report, we refer to these projects as Acceptable Planne Projects (APPs). The APPs inclue Chatfiel Reservoir Reallocation, Halligan Reservoir Enlargement, Seaman Reservoir Enlargement, Gross Reservoir Expansion, Winy Gap Firming Project, Rueter-Hess Reservoir Expansion, Beebe Draw Aquifer Recharge, an East Cherry Creek Valley s Northern Project. * These APPs, collectively, can provie 102,000 acre-feet of new supply annually. Conservation Publishe literature an the Colorao Water Conservation Boar s (CWCB) stuies inicate that This report explores four water supply strategies acceptable planne projects, water conservation, reuse, an voluntary water sharing with the agriculture sector. As stewars of Colorao s * Western Resource Avocates, Trout Unlimite, an the Colorao Environmental Coalition are engage in the environmental review process an relate iscussions to ensure aequate mitigation is inclue for these projects. Filling the Gap: Commonsense Solutions for Meeting Front Range Water Nees Executive Summary v

6 per capita water use can be significantly reuce over the next 40 years through existing conservation techniques, practices, an technology. A 34% reuction in per capita eman the CWCB s high conservation strategy woul result in a reuction of 362,000 acre-feet of water eman annually by Achieving the conservation savings for a high conservation strategy will require sustaine efforts by water proviers an local governments, an may require state legislation, but it is cost-effective an will not compel lifestyle changes or moification to lanscaping far beyon what currently exists in many communities. Only active water conservation savings coul be use to meet new emans 256,000 acre-feet of the 362,000 acre-feet total. If 60% of the active savings are eicate to meeting future nees, 153,000 acre-feet of new water supply will be mae available annually by Reuse The Metropolitan Water Supply Initiative (MWSI) conclue that by 2030, reuse by Front Range cities woul amount to 138,700 acre-feet of water annually, an that future plans for reuse beyon 2030 for the Denver area alone woul total about 171,000 acre-feet per year. By maximizing exchange opportunities an substitution plans, significantly increasing both irect an inirect reuse, an constructing the WISE an Prairie Water s Projects, the South Platte Basin will have an estimate 199,000 acre-feet of reuse water available annually to meet new emans in Ag/Urban Cooperation Municipal water supplies can be increase with financial benefit to the agricultural community through the use of systems integration an voluntary ag/urban sharing arrangements, like rotational lan fallowing, interruptible supply agreements, an water leasing. The MWSI estimate that there is as much as 495,000 acre-feet of agricultural water available upstream of Greeley for sharing with South Platte municipalities. Assuming the physical an aministrative structures are put in place, we believe 25% of the 495,000 acre-feet coul be share with cities uner innovative arrangements that o not require permanently rying irrigate acreage, thus proucing approximately 120,000 acre-feet of new supply annually. Unpreceente unknowns an uncertainties are ahea for Colorao s water resources. The Colorao Environmental Coalition, Trout Unlimite, an Western Resource Avocates are right. All the players in water ecisions, from users to regulators, must think anew an create new proceures an laws to eal with these uncertainties. The ays of traitional flow projections an heaven help the hinmost mitigation plans are over! George B. Bearsley, Denver Water Boar Member 2004 to 2009, Municipal Water District Director, an Agricultural Irrigator vi Filling the Gap: Commonsense Solutions for Meeting Front Range Water Nees Executive Summary

7 recommenations Colorao can chart an innovative path forwar that iffers from the traitional approach of builing large ams an pipelines to meet the Front Range s growing water nees. Planning for Colorao s water future is at a critical juncture. The SWSI process presente an abunance of information regaring water supplies, an the basin rountables an IBCC are engage in iscussions about what the next steps shoul be. We believe Colorao can chart an innovative path forwar, one that iffers from the traitional approach of builing large ams an pipelines to meet the Front Range s growing water nees. The portfolio of APPs, conservation, reuse, an ag/urban sharing escribe in this report, which is base on conservative assumptions, woul prouce 200,000 acre-feet of water in excess of the Front Range s 2050 emans. While each strategy has its iniviual trae-offs, our portfolio oes not require aitional, large-scale, environmentally amaging transbasin iversions to the Front Range from the Western Slope. Base on rigorous ata analysis, this report offers several key recommenations that water planners an policy makers shoul consier carefully in forging Colorao s water future: Recommenations Close the projecte Front Range gap with balance strategies that are more cost-effective an environmentally frienly than transbasin iversion projects. Protect Colorao s rivers, streams, an lakes as an integral part of any future water evelopment strategy. Non-consumptive uses of water for fishing, whitewater recreation, an other uses are worth billions of ollars annually to our state economy an are critical to the quality of life in this state. Pursue only those Ientifie Projects an Processes that can be constructe an operate accoring to the smart principles elineate in this report. Implement more aggressive water conservation strategies. Conservation is often the cheapest, fastest, an smartest way to gain new water supply, an many Front Range utilities have significant opportunities to boost their existing water conservation efforts. Listen to Front Range homeowners, who consistently express a willingness to aopt enhance conservation measures in orer to protect rivers an other mountain resources. Maximize the role of water reuse in meeting the future nees of Colorao s resients, an work to improve public perception an acceptance of reuse projects. Cooperate with agriculture on voluntary water sharing agreements that benefit both municipalities an the agricultural community without permanently rying irrigate acres. Alternatives to buy an ry transfers present the best opportunities for our future. By following these recommenations, Colorao can more than meet the future water nees of its northern Front Range communities while minimizing impacts to the state s rivers an streams. Filling the Gap: Commonsense Solutions for Meeting Front Range Water Nees Executive Summary vii

The Smart Principles Western Resource Avocates, Trout Unlimite, an the Colorao Environmental Coalition recommen that future water supply management an evelopment efforts ahere to a set of basic,

8 The Smart Principles Western Resource Avocates, Trout Unlimite, an the Colorao Environmental Coalition recommen that future water supply management an evelopment efforts ahere to a set of basic, smart principles. We offer these principles as a guie to assure protection of rivers an other natural resources against amage that often results from structural water supply projects. The smart principles are: Make full an efficient use of existing water supplies an reusable return flows before eveloping new iversion projects Baseline Roa, Suite 200 Bouler, CO Phone: (303) info@westernresources.org Western Resource Avocates is a nonprofit environmental law an policy organization eicate to protecting the West s lan, air, an water. Improve use of existing water supply infrastructure by integrating systems an sharing resources among water users to avoi unnecessary new iversions an uplication of facilities. Recognize the funamental political an economic inequities an the averse environmental consequences of new transbasin iversions. Expan or enhance existing storage an elivery before builing new facilities in presently unevelope sites, an expan water supplies incrementally to better utilize existing iversion an storage capacities Pearl St., Suite 320 Bouler, CO Phone: (303) RScholfiel@tu.org Trout Unlimite s mission is to conserve, protect an restore North America s colwater fisheries an their watershes. Recognizing that market forces now rive water reallocation from agricultural to municipal uses, structure such transfers, where possible, to maintain agriculture an in all cases to mitigate the averse impacts to rural communities from these transfers. Involve all stakeholers in ecision-making processes an fully aress the inevitable environmental an socioeconomic impacts of increasing water supplies. Design an operate water iversion projects to leave aequate flows in rivers to support healthy ecosystems uner all future scenarios, even if water availability iminishes in the future as a result of climate change or other factors Wynkoop Street, #5C Denver, CO Phone: (303) info@ourcolorao.org Colorao Environmental Coalition works to protect Colorao s environment by eucating an mobilizing citizens, proviing technical an organizing assistance to environmental organizations an other allies, an uniting an supporting them in coalitions that efen an preserve Colorao s natural heritage an quality of life. February 2011 Downloa the full report at: wwww.westernresourceavocates.org/gap To receive a har copy of the full report, contact Maeleine Tengler at or at maeleine@westernresources.org

Filling the Gap. Commonsense Solutions for Colorado s Front Range. Colorado s Water Future

Filling the Gap. Commonsense Solutions for Colorado s Front Range. Colorado s Water Future Filling the Gap Commonsense Solutions for Meeting Front Range Water Needs Filling the Gap Filling the Gap Second in a SerieS Meeting Future Urban Water Needs in the Arkansas Basin Commonsense Solutions