Colorado Water Issues Update Meeting with Congresswoman Grace Napolitano
Coyote Gulch was howling with U.S. Congresswoman Grace Napolitano and some of the water movers and shakers in Colorado yesterday. The congresswoman was down in Castle Rock to speak at the Douglas County Democratic Party annual Clinton/Carter dinner but took time out for a panel discussion titled Colorado Water Issues Update Meeting. The meeting was organized by the Douglas County Water Resource Authority.
The panel included: Congresswoman Napolitano who is chair of the U.S. House Resources Subcommittee on Water and Power; Rod Kuharich, Director of the Colorado Water Conservation Board; Sara Duncan, Intergovernmental Affairs Coordinator at Denver Water; Regan Waskom, Colorado State University Water Center; Peggy Montano, Northern Colorado Water Conservancy District; Frank McNulty, State Representative, House District 43; Tom Iseman, The Nature Conservancy's Water Program Manager; Mark Shively, Douglas County Water Authority; Chris Treese, Colorado River Water Conservation District.
The meeting started with the introduction of Congresswoman Napolitano by Bill Winter. Congresswoman Napolitano told the group that she has over two decades of experience in water. Her experience helps her to know, "when people are putting you on." One of her goals is to meet with constituents and stakeholders to enable her to make sure that the Bureau of Reclamation's priorities are in line with the water needs and interests from the communities and water utilities around the country.
Rod Kuharich was up first. He talked about some of the measures that Douglas County is taking to head off a water supply disaster that is looming due to the county's reliance on the Denver Aquifer. They're preaching conservation -- mailing Xeriscape and other information to every water customer in the county.
He then went on to discuss the Colorado River and where the federal government can help out. He complimented California for living within the constraints of the Colorado River Compact. He said that Colorado is not currently using all of our allocation under the compact but the we, "fully intend to develop our Colorado River Allocation." He mentioned last year's agreement by the basin states on the mechanism for managing the river during times of drought. Weather modification and non-tributary water are two areas that the basin states are looking at for augmentation of flows in the river. Desalination is another area where the states are cooperating. Mr. Kuharich mentioned that the states need a seat at the table when the State Department negotiates a new water treaty with Mexico.
He's hoping that the feds will step up with regard to the management of Glen Canyon dam and Lake Powell. He's concerned that the Glen Canyon Adaptive Management Program is too open-ended. He's hoping to move out of the experimental stage and, "get to an operational scheme." He's optimistic that the new EIS will point to the solution.
Mr. Kuharich brought the panel up to date on the Statewide Water Supply Initiative (SWSI). The project is in it's second phase now with the draft report nearing completion. SWSI showed that there is a looming crisis in three basins, the South Platte, Arkansas and main stem of the Colorado River. The second phase set up four technical roundtables, effective use, environment and recreation, water availability in the Colorado River, and climate variability.
He then went on to discuss how the Bureau of Reclamation can better serve Colorado. He said that their Water 2025 study missed the mark. By not granting any dough to Colorado the bureau missed an opportunity to participate in the state's efforts. Another federal issue is the Preferred Storage Options Plan for the management of Pueblo Reservoir.
Congresswoman Napolitano commented on her efforts to clean up uranium tailings around Moab. The cost is looking to be between $800-900 million. Former Energy Secretary Bill Richardson got the funding ball rolling. "Mother Nature recycles water, we abuse it," she said.
Tom Iseman said that the Nature Conservancy is there for plants and animals that depend on stream flows and wetlands to exist. He's happy that conservation and the environment are considerations in phase two of the SWSI.
Sara Duncan noted that the congresswoman had founded the Congressional Mental Health Caucus and that, "coming to water is a natural progression." Denver Water, she said, is attempting to, "grow supplies from what we already have," using conservation and reuse. The DWD reuse plant output is going to double in only ten years. The water from reuse is being used on landscapes right now but DWD will consider reused water as a potable source in the future. Ms. Duncan made the point the Colorado needs more storage. Colorado utilities seldom use federal money for projects but we have to jump through so many regulatory hoops that the congress should consider a rethinking of some legislation. She praised SWSI for getting diverse groups to the table -- more voices to complete the picture.
Frank McNulty said that the SWSI was the 50,000 foot view. Colorado has much more work to do, especially Douglas County. He reiterated the need for more storage and that it must be closer to the population centers. He also mentioned the proposed expansion of storage in Chatfield Reservoir and asked the congresswoman's help in getting the Army Corps of Engineers on board with funding along with buy in for the project.
Peggy Montano wanted to alert the congresswoman to the potential for damage to Northern's reservoirs from forest fire. The beetle kill going on in the upper Colorado River basin is extensive. There will be a major fire or fires there, according to Montano, and there is a need to build erosion control around the reservoirs. So far the federal agencies involved are turning a deaf ear to the prospect for erosion control dams in Rocky Mountain National Park and the national forest. Ms. Montano hopes that the problem will be dealt with pro-actively.
Napolitano commented that since the U.S. is sending $8 billion a month to Iraq that there is little money left over for new projects.
Chris Treese took the time to explain that the Colorado River (as he think's about it) leaves Colorado in 13 or 14 places and that makes managment difficult. It also makes it hard to quantify what is left over for new development. Colorado shares many problems with Napolitano's district. He asked that she help foster the badly needed interstate cooperation. The congresswoman expressed a desire for better planning.
Regan Waskom said that his role on the panel was to provide a science perspective. Since the largest use of water in Colorado is agriculture many consider ag water the last best source for development. How that can be accomplished without destroying rural economies and the agriculture industry in Colorado is the focus of his work at CSU. He also mentioned the need for more storage as a means to slow the move of ag water to the cities.
Rod Kuharich led off the panel discussion of the Interbasin Compact Committees set up by the Water for the 21st Century Act [HB 05-1177]. Some basins are using the SWSI as a needs assessment but there is a concern that the process is reviving the east slope-west slope divisiveness again.
Sara Duncan told the panel that there is a problem of jurisdiction between the roundtables and the Colorado Water Conservation Board. She also mentioned that, due to recent Forest Service management decisions, there is no longer a timber industry infrastructure in place to harvest timber. The forest management plans should include sustainability for the forests.
Peggy Montano said that the jury is still out on the IBCC process. There are, "Wonderful opportunities," but also a growing east-west divide. Some roundtables are building walls and posturing to gain a statewide veto power for water issues.
Mr. Treese also praised the IBCC process for bringing others into the process in addition to the "Water Buffaloes." There is great value in educating newcomers to the process. However the organization has the potential of Balkinizing efforts. He told the panel about the successful enlargement of Elkhead Reservoir. The project's extra storage is divided half and half between the feds and locals. Use of the extra water will be determined by the owner and their priorities. (He also plugged the re-dedication of Elkhead Reservoir on July 11th.)
Three federal issues on the table are the weather modification bill, a funding bill for tamarisk removal and the treaty with Mexico, according to Rod Kuharich. The salinity of the Colorado River at the Mexican border needs to be frozen. Right now we're delivering water to Mexico that may be better than it needs to be with regard to natural background salinity.
Chris Treese mentioned the need to fully fund the Animas-La Plata project. This project satisfies Colorado's liability under the settlement with several Indian tribes under the Colorado Ute Indian Water Rights Settlement Act.
Congresswoman Napolitano ended the session saying that, "There is too much divisiveness [over water issues]. We should be acting on what is good for the future."
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