How Do You Administer a Bird Call?
Sharing the Resource
Sharing the Resource
Sharing the Resource
Conflict:
• Species Habitat = Need for Water
• Platte Basin Water Resource is Highly Developed
• How are Species water needs integrated into this situation?
Bird Call
No Water Right
Not a part of a compact
ESA
(Environment Shares Assets)
Issues
• Working within an existing water rights system – Fully Appropriated– Existing State statutes
• Interstate Compact / Supreme Court Decree
Future Water Demand
9
Statewide Gross M&I and Self-supplied Industrial Water Demands – 2000 to 2030
630,000
22,300
409,700
4,300
100
14,900
18,800
61,900
98,000
Increase in Gross
Demand (AF)
101,900
900
68,700
1,400
—
2,100
2,400
7,800
18,600
Projected Conservation
Savings
(AF)
90,600319,1001,182,100 772,400 South Platte
2,40012,50035,500 20,600 Gunnison
—100600 500 North Platte
—4,30021,700 17,400 Rio Grande
—22,30051,700 29,400 Yampa / White / Green
118,600
4,900
3,200
17,500
Identified Gross Demand
Shortfall
(AF)
1,824,900
42,400
136,000
354,900
Projected 2030 Gross
Demand
(AF)
13,90023,600 San Juan / Dolores / San Miguel
511,400
58,700
80,500
Estimated Demand met by
future water supplies and
additional conservation
(AF)
1,194,900 TOTAL
74,100 Colorado
256,900Arkansas
Total 2000
Gross Demand
(AF)Basin
COLORADO’S EXPORT STATUTE
No person may divert, carry, or transport any surface or ground water from this state by ditches, canals, pipes, conduits, natural streams, watercourses, or other means without meeting the requirements for obtaining a well permit or…without first obtaining an adjudication from the water court for the right to use water outside the state.
An approval by the SEO, GW Commission, or Water Judge must find, among other things that:
• The proposed use of water outside this state is expressly authorized by interstate compact or is credited as a delivery.
• The proposed use of water will not deprive the citizens of this state of the beneficial use of waters apportioned to CO by interstate compact.
South Platte River CompactCRS § 37-65-101, Article IV
Between April 1 and October 15, Colorado may not permit diversions junior to June, 1897 in the compact’s lower section, to an extent that they will diminish the flow of the river at the interstate station below 120 cfs
From October 15 to April 1, Colorado has full and uninterrupted use and benefit of the water flowing within the state
Flows @ Overton, NE
• 1895-1909 2,650,000 AF/yr
• 1936-1969 825,000 AF/yr
• 1970-1999 1,520,000 AF/yr
• 2000-2010 ?????
J JJMAMF DNOSA0 k
6 k
4 k
2 k
12 k
10 k
8 k
TARGET FLOWS
Overton, NE (1979) Grand Island, NE (1979)
Conclusions
Can Re-regulate to meet Species needs
• Annual flow (1,520,000 AF/yr)
• Target Flows = 1,250,000 AF/yr
No Room for New Depletions in Platte River
We can Share a Developed Resource if…..
Scientific Process vs. Certainty for Water Supplies
Tensions
SCIENCE• Limited knowledge
about species• Disagreement on
solutions, management strategies, interpretation
More Information
More Hypothesis Testing
=ADAPTIVE MANAGEMENT
WATER MANAGEMENT
Provide Water Supplies• Definite Plan for Costs
Certainty, i.e. Regulatory Compliance
= DEFINED CONTRIBUTIONS
Definition of Adaptive Management
• Adaptive management as described in this Adaptive Management Plan (AMP) is a series of scientifically driven management actions…to test priority hypotheses related to management decisions and actions, and apply the resulting information to improve management.
Basic Premises
• Uncertainty exists, can never be eliminated, but can be reduced to improve management
• Decisions must be made despite the uncertainty
• Monitoring and research required• Management decisions will be improved in
the future
Agreement
SCIENCEAdaptive Management
Plan• Tests Competing Hypoth.• Extensive MonitoringWithin Program Resources
Not Tied to ComplianceGC Agrees to Changes in
Management Actions
WATER MANAGERS
Defined Contributions• Provide Resources• Offset New Depletions
Regulatory Compliance for 13 Years
No Unexpected Costs
Conclusions
• Knowledge can be expanded
• Competing Hypotheses can be tested, within resource limitations
• Water users can get some certainty for providing water supplies
• Costs are known
If…