RIO GRANDE BASIN IMPLEMENTATION PLAN Di Natale Water

RIO GRANDE BASIN IMPLEMENTATION PLAN Di. Natale Water Consultants OVERVIEW

SECTION 1 STATE WATER PLAN PROCESS RIO GRANDE BASIN’S ORGANIZATION Based on CWCB Basin Implementation Plan Guidelines Grassroots Process! Rio Grande Basin Roundtable BIP Steering Committee BIP Subcommittees § Public Outreach § Water Administration § Agricultural § Municipal & Industrial § Environmental & Recreational

OUTREACH AND EDUCATION (SECTION 7) Outreach Type Number of Events / Attendees Location General Community Outreach Sessions 7 Events 87 Attendees Total Basin Wide County Commissioners Outreach Sessions 7 Events 57 Attendees Total Basin Wide Group Outreach Sessions 9 Events 314 Attendees Total Basin Wide Rio Grande Roundtable Meetings 7 Events >300 Attendees Total Alamosa 21 Total Events Alamosa Newspaper Articles 11 written 13 planned Distributed Basin Wide Radio Programs 5 complete 7 planned Aired Basin Wide Basin Plan Subcommittee Meetings Water 101 Booklet Distributed Basin Wide Website Accessible statewide Action Plan for Education and Outreach Beyond 2014 Planned and Developed Basin Wide Rio Grande Basin Long Range Outreach Strategies Planned and Developed Basin Wide

SECTION 2 INTRODUCTION BACKGROUND AND REFERENCE FOR ENTIRE PLAN Geography Land Ownership Climate History Culture Demographics Economy Water Resources Water Administration Environmental & Recreational Attributes

SECTION 3 RIO GRANDE BASIN GOALS AND MEASURABLE OUTCOMES Goals and Measurable Outcomes (G/MO) Identified - 3 month process 12 Subcommittee & full RGBRT meetings 14 Goals § 8 Goals meet needs of all sectors (Ag, M&I, Water Admin & Env/Rec) § Only two goals are single purpose: Env/Rec

SECTION 3 RIO GRANDE BASIN GOALS AND MEASURABLE OUTCOMES Rio Grande Compact Compliance Sustainability § Agriculture § Aquifers § Watershed & Soil Health § Infrastructure Protect water rights Protect & restore riparian, wetlands & aquatic habitats Promote multi-purpose projects

WATER ADMINISTRATION Basin strictly administers Rio Grande Compact, hence avoiding Law Suits with downstream states Water rights, even those senior to the Compact, are subject to curtailment Groundwater Management Subdistricts Well Rules and Regulations

COMPACT CURTAILMENT OF DIVERSIONS A DAILY FACT OF LIFE Compact curtailment requires on average 30 to 40% of index flows to be delivered to state line

AGRICULTURE Agriculture uses 99% of Basin’s water Potatoes = $185 million per year Highest value per acre production agriculture in Colorado Agricultural direct revenues exceed $325 million per year Comparison of 2010 Average Revenues by Crop $ 3, 500 $ 3, 000 $ 2, 500 $ 2, 000 $ 1, 500 $ 1, 000 $ 500 $Barley Revenue per Acre Alfalfa Hay Potatoes Revenue per AF of CU

CHANGE IN AQUIFER STORAGE

AGRICULTURAL CONSTRAINTS Agricultural community is taking action to form Groundwater Management Subdistricts § Replace depletions § Restore aquifer levels Pending Well Rules and Regulations will profoundly affect the Basin’s economy Initial projection will retire 40, 000 irrigated acres in Subdistrict 1 to meet aquifer sustainability

ENVIRONMENTAL AND RECREATIONAL Watershed supports wildlife, recreation, agriculture and Compact deliveries Diverse wetland riparian systems Critical habitat for many species Waterways = high recreation and tourism values

MUNICIPAL AND INDUSTRIAL Increased Municipal demand will be small Aging infrastructure Limited ability to finance rehabilitation or improve infrastructure Municipalities pumping groundwater will have to augment depletions but maybe low Increased Industrial demand will be small

CHALLENGES TO MEETING WATER NEEDS (SECTION 5) § Climate Change Studies suggest § Flows reduced by 33% § Earlier runoff § Dust on Snow will impact hydrology § Beetle kill and forest fires will impact hydrology

Over 85 percent of Forested Lands have Insects or Disease BEETLE KILL

BASIN PLANNING MODEL Considers changes in hydrology § Dust on snow, beetle kill, wildfire, climate change § Identify potential critical needs § Impacts of reduction of seasonal flows on water rights and aquatic and riparian habitats Assist in decision making § Help identify and prioritize projects § Water management opportunities

Modeled Impacts on Future Hydrology

TYPICAL YEAR OF NEW HYDROLOGIC INFLOWS

TYPICAL YEAR OF NEW HYDROLOGIC INFLOWS

TYPICAL YEAR OF NEW HYDROLOGIC INFLOWS

GIVEN THE LIKELY FUTURE, WHAT IS OUR ACTION PLAN? § Improve water management within constraints of Rio Grande Compact and Colorado Water Law § Retime compact and other deliveries for multiple benefits § Bring surface and ground water into balance § Restore aquifers § Agricultural improvements: optimize production and minimize consumptive use § Improve watershed and soil health § Protect and restore riparian areas and wetlands § Maintain and improve infrastructure § Reservoirs and diversion structures § Municipal

PROJECT SHEETS Project Name Location and Map Sponsor(s) Uses / Needs Met BIP Goals / Needs Met Description and Picture Estimate Project Costs (2014) Potential Funding Collaboration / Sources Project Timeline & Budget WSRA Funding Project Beneficiaries

EXAMPLE OF HOW PROJECTS MEET BASIN GOALS Needs Met Basin Goals Met Project or Method TYPES Ag M&I Env/ Rec Water 1 Admin 2 3 Rio Grande Cooperative Project Trujillo Meadows ATM Project Jim Creek Riparian Protection and Restoration Project Formation of Remaining Subdistricts Acquisition of Replacement Supplies for Pumping Depletions Retirement of Irrigated Lands Necessary to Comply with Aquifer Sustainability Rules Alternative Cropping Education and Promotion Program Restoration of West Fork Complex Fire Burned Areas Basin-wide Water Public Education Program Streamflow Forecast Improvements Rio Grande Initiative Conservation Easements Rio Grande Headwaters Restoration Project X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14

EXAMPLE PROJECTS AND METHODS Project Sponsor Doppler Radar Weather Forecasting Project Cost Years Total (000) 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 RWEACT, CWCB, USFS, NWS $375. 0 $62. 5 Jim Creek Riparian Protection and Restoration Project Conejos County, TU, State Land Board, Colorado Mountain Club, Volunteers for Outdoor Colorado $30. 0 $10. 0 Mountain Home Reservoir Dam Repair Trinchera Irrigation Company $500. 0 $270. 0 $230. 0 Rio Culebra Community Watershed Sange de Cristo Plan Acequia Association $200. 0 $22, 000. 0 $1, 625. 0 $9, 125. 0 $21. 0 $11. 0 $5. 0 Rio Grande Cooperative Project SLVID, CPW Colorado Counties of Hinsdale, Mineral, Rio Grande, Conejos, Rio Grande Cutthroat Trout County Costilla, Alamosa, Coalition Project Saguache, Archuleta, San Juan, and Las Animas

RIO GRANDE BASIN IMPLEMENTATION PLAN & COLORADO PLAN Rio Grande Basin Roundtable supports the development of the Colorado Water Plan Rio Grande Basin supports concepts developed by IBCC of the framework of an agreement on how a transmountain diversion project from west slope to front range could potentially move forward

OUR PATH FORWARD The written draft Plan is not end goal, but beginning of next phase! Continued communication, education and public outreach Develop and implement Projects and Methods Next steps: § Disseminate printed copies of the Draft BIP, hold public meetings and solicit feedback § Refine basin planning model and make model runs in response to requests § Resolve concerns with conflicting data sources § Refine Projects and Methods § Finalize Plan

THANK YOU! Citizens of the Rio Grande Basin Members of the Rio Grande Basin Roundtable Volunteers who contributed countless hours on the Basin Implementation Plan CWCB Board and Staff Di. Natale Water Consultants www. riograndewaterplan. com