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<br />Comments to SWSI, November 3,2003, by John Wiener <br /> <br />20 <br /> <br />take place quite soon~ perhaps to provide guidance to the legislature as well as possible, and <br />inform the rule-makjng which the State Engineer may be called upon to provide. <br /> <br />Desired outcomes include: (1) A statement of which circumstances, if anYt al,ow adequate <br />estimations in a transparent fashion, to support short-term transfers of water from agriculture to <br />municipaUties. (2) A statement of research gaps and needs for the different categories of <br />participants, including the possibifities for creation of a prototype expert system for making <br />estimations, and a plan for local involvement and social acceptance. (3) A longer..term agenda <br />for research and support in co~bining the expert system for return flow adjustments and water <br />transfers with other systems such as those for irrigation scheduling and water valuation, for <br />integrated regional water modeting and management. <br /> <br />The workshop assessing the state of knowredge should bring together key participants in water <br />administration, research, and irrigation and cOJ'lveyance technology providers. <br /> <br />What should we do? How can we best do it? <br /> <br />So fart inquiry with researchers and private sector people individuaUy has shown strong concern <br />for the problem, but also concern for the rerationship such an effort wouJd have to other long-term <br />research agendas, inter-institutional contexts, and concern that a f1top...downll approach might be <br />seen as efforts to promote the interests of municipal transferees at the expense of agriculturer <br />transferors. One question is, "who should ask for this?1I And then, how does this relate to the <br />agenda and issues raised in the Statewide Water Supply Initiative jn Colorado, and Interior~s <br />Water 2025 Initiative? <br /> <br />In 1996, the Colorado Water Resources Research Institute convened a panel which reported on <br />Irriaation Water Conservation: OODortunities and Limitations in Colorado. A report of the <br />Agricultural Water Conservation Task Force, by D. H. Smith, K. Klein, R.. Bartholomay, I. Broner, <br />G.E. Cardon. and W..M. Frasier, with contributions from D.F. Champion, R. Curtis, R" Kuharicht <br />D~C. lila, M. Gross, D. Parkert H. Simpson, and E. Wilkinson (CWRRI Completion Report No. <br />190~) The results are clearly presented, and in short, they are that there is no avoiding sufficient <br />place-specific information and engineering to support findings. When can we get that? <br /> <br />Further details and context for the problem <br /> <br />Whatls new? Why undertake a fast response? <br /> <br />From the many news stories on the 2003 Colorado General Assemblyls expected flood of <br />water and drought-related bills, a quotation from a highly-respected legislator, Senator Jim Dyer, <br />crearly reflects a sense of urgency. "We donlt care what the project is, II Dyer said. ..We just want <br />to show leadership that we're responding to the drought.u (Denver Post, 25 Dec. 02, p. 48). <br />Senator Dyer represents a constituency hit very hard in 2002, expecting perhaps an even more <br />financially damaging year in 2003. Many bills will address *-conservationll, interests in acquiring <br />or defending agricultural water, and encouraging leasing to municipal useS4 The pressure to <br />move water away from irrigation has built dramatically in the Jast decades of enormous growth in <br />urban populations (Nichols et al. 2001, Western Water Policy Review Commission, 1998), aU over <br />the Westt and already Cororado has enacted a Water Bank Pilot Program on the Arkansas River. <br />Now, in response to the severe 2002 drought, the sense of urgency may be stronger than ever. <br />Ult is frequently argued that a rea/location of just 10 percent of agricultural water to municipal uses <br />could augment municipal supplies West-wide by 50 percent... (Nichols at al. 2001: xii-xijj)~ Over <br />90 percent of consumptive use of Colorado water is in agriculture. in a normal year. <br /> <br />.-Irrigation agriculture continues to be the focal point of discussion on sources of water <br />to meet growing demands. Calls for conservation have come from several sources~ <br />apparently prompted by assumptions that the magnitude of agricultural water use is <br />