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…