Berggren said we are starting to see voluntary collaboration start to break down and that it might be time for federal intervention.
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.
Grizzly Reservoir to be drained next summer for rehab work
During next year’s rehabilitation work most of the creeks — Lost Man, New York, Brooklyn and Tabor — will be allowed to flow downstream instead of being collected by a canal system that feeds Grizzly Reservoir.
Basalt whitewater park to get next round of enhancements
The other big enhancement to the area will be a 250-yard-long boardwalk that connects the Fisherman’s Park boat ramp to the whitewater park along the river right bank.
West Slope water managers ask: What authority do the feds have?
As the deadline approaches for the seven Colorado River basin states to come up with a plan to conserve water, some Colorado water managers are asking what authority the federal government has in the upper basin and which water projects could be at risk of federal action.
Red Mountain Ditch declines offer of grant money from Pitkin County
Red Mountain Ditch irrigates about 380 acres of grass pasture on Red Mountain and in the exclusive Starwood neighborhood with Hunter Creek water rights that date to 1889.
Opinions differ on timeline as Crystal River Wild & Scenic efforts move ahead
Since the Crystal flows through Gunnison County and the town of Marble, advocates say getting those residents and elected representatives on board will be key to moving the effort forward.
Crystal River rancher, Water Trust again try to boost flows
The goal of the program is to use voluntary, market-based approaches to encourage agricultural water users — who often own the biggest and most senior water rights — to put water back into Colorado’s rivers during critical times.
Recent drop in Lake Powell’s storage shows how much space sediment is taking up
Updated Bureau of Reclamation data downgraded the reservoir’s volume of water stored by 443,000 acre-feet, based on a recent sedimentation study.
State officials looking for engagement on updated water plan
The plan says Colorado will continue the slow but steady transformation of moving water from agriculture — by far the largest water user — to cities, with nearly 14,000 acres of irrigated land expected to be urbanized, one-third of that in the Grand Valley.
Race is on for Colorado River basin states to conserve before feds take action
The actions taken in the 2022 Drought Response Operations Plan will add about 1 million acre-feet, or 16 feet of elevation, to Lake Powell. But these actions are not enough.