Pope brings up an inherent contradiction about Upper Basin conservation: How can agricultural water users cut back when they already don’t have enough in drought years like this?
Category: Water
Our water desk, staffed by Heather Sackett, produces the most authoritative reporting available on Roaring Fork and upper Colorado river basin water policy and politics.
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Colorado water officials announce creation of state-run conservation program
But details were scant on exactly how much water Colorado will contribute to the program and how the saved water would be used.
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PitCo commissioners voice initial approval for another water buy
Members of the county’s Healthy Rivers board, which advises the BOCC, are concerned that the water will have a small impact on river health but a big impact on the program’s budget.
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Western Slope lawmakers take Colorado River managers to task
Roberts’ line of questioning seemed prompted by recent projections that show river flows dipping below a threshold that could trigger litigation.
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Colorado River experts say agriculture must make permanent cuts to water use
Some in the academic community are advocating for the federal government to either set up a voluntary program to buy and retire lands that use a lot of water or pay landowners who agree to permanent restrictions on water use.
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Feds say new Colorado River plan will be short-term
In the absence of a seven-state deal for sharing shortages and managing reservoirs, river management now falls to the federal government — an outcome nearly everyone had hoped to avoid.
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Aspen enacts Stage 3 water shortage
The move also comes with a water rate increase for those who use the most water: Customers in Tier III will see a 50% rate increase and Tier IV will see their rates increase 125%.
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Flexible pool of water could be key to protect Lake Powell
There isn’t a way to physically move water upstream, but according to WRA, water could be transferred between reservoirs through adjustments to dam releases and careful accounting.
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Fish out of water
As flows plummet, fish could become stranded in pools that are disconnected from the rest of the river, and program managers say they will try to prevent fish from using that stretch of river during times when flows are predicted to be at their lowest.
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River District proposes actions to address drought
They are also asking the board to sign off on a system of prioritizing water use sectors: municipal and domestic needs over agriculture.