S8_11-15-04

• Basin: Statewide
• Title: SWSI Phase 1 Report - Section 8 Options for Meeting Future Water Needs
• Date: 11/15/2004
• Author: CWCB
• SWSI - Doc Type: Final Report

Table 8-2 Curre
Lagan nt Level o f Water Gonservat
~' ion Effort (cont.)
Mesa /
Mineral /
Moffat /
Montezuma /
Montrose /
Morgan /
Otero /
Ouray /
Park /
Phillips /
Pitkin /
Prowers /
Pueblo /
Rio Blanco /
Rio Grande /
Routt /
Saguache /
San Juan /
San Miguel /
Sedgwick /
Summit /
Teller /
Washington /
Weld /
Yuma /
Source: survev bv Colorad o Municip al Leaaue.
8.2.1.2 Evaluating New Supply from M&I Water
Conservation
The ability to develop new supplies from water
conservation or to carry over conserved water for later
use is dependent on the type of water rights used.
The potential for conservation must be evaluated on
an individual M&I water provider basis, considering
the types of water rights owned and the return flow
obligations that apply to these water rights. Figure 8-2
illustrates the M&I return flow cycle for surface water
diversions. The benefits of water conservation
include:
^ Implementation costs can be significantly lower
than new water supply development or other
alternatives.
^ There are no permitting requirements to
implement water conservation.
^ Implementation is within the control of the local
water provider and does not require approval of
other entities.
J~~a
$~ole'ri~ice Wo~e' $upplY Initia~ive
Section 8
Options for Meeting Future Water Needs
^ No new diversions are required from rivers or
streams.
^ Existing water supplies can be stretched to supply
demands of new growth.
^ Lesser environmental impacts than new water
storage development.
^ Can reduce water and wastewater treatment,
distribution, collection, capital, and operations and
maintenance costs.
Some of the issues involved in evaluating the net
available water supply produced from M&I water
conservation are:
M&I direct flow water rights cannot be stored or
carried over for drought periods (absent a change of
use proceeding in water court), thus conserving water
and reducing the demand on direct flow rights may
not create reliable supply to meet new demands (for
example for new growth.)
^ CU water rights, such as transbasin, non-tributary,
groundwater, or CU agricultural transfers, on the
other hand, can be stored. If the overall demands on
CU supplies can be reduced, the "saved" water can
be used to meet the demands of new growth, improve
reliability or both, if adequate storage is available to
carry over the conserved water for use in drought
periods.
^ Many M&I water users have substantial agricultural
rights that provide for the diversion of the entire
historical amount of irrigation use as long as CU is not
increased and historical return flows are maintained.
Gonsumpiion on Cflnsumption on
C]utdflor Uses Indoor Uses
~ ~
~Vlunicipal &
Industrial LJsers
~~
S:\REPORT\WORD PROCESSING\REPORT\S8 11-9-04.DOC H-~J
Figure 8-2
Return Flows from M&I Use of Surface Water