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<br /> <br />Page 3 of3 <br /> <br />similar to the past suggesting more storage and continuing to move water between basins will be needed. <br />However, the Colorado Supreme Court has upheld legislation that now allows any county to block transfers of <br />water out of the county. As a result, there is also a recognition that we must consider and address each other's <br />water needs and other wants. "What are you willing to give to get what you want?" Intrastate compacts may be a <br />useful tool for interbasin water transfers. If the Seven Colorado River Basin States can use water marketing tools <br />within an interstate compact to accomplish what some may have believed was impossible, "Why can't we?" He <br />candidly answered questions from the group, and concluded, "We'll see where we get. We don't know where the <br />end is, and we don't have to know [Le. state government]. The people are responsible, and we've tapped their <br />thinking. When people are ready, difficult decisions will be made." <br /> <br />Mr. Pulwarty's comments were hardly encouraging for water planners. He is part of an Intergovernmental <br />Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), which will present a report next year that generally concludes the future will be <br />warmer in the Northern Hemisphere. He has also been named as NOAA's NIDIS coordinator, While approaching <br />climate change and global warming with some skepticism, he confessed he is now a believer. He reviewed some <br />of the facts. Temperatures in the West are the warmest since the 1950s, westwide snowmelt and peak <br />streamflows are coming earlier in the year, many areas are suffering from multiyear drought, and inflows to Lake <br />Powell are down 25%, The models and data seem to agree, so how do we plan for the future? Small temperature <br />changes may bring big changes in the amount and manner of precipitation, as well as storage needs. Between <br />2010 and 2040, Colorado streamflows could drop by 17% and Colorado River storage by 36%. Portland could <br />face an 8% decrease in precipitation. Precipitation changes are the hardest to model. Similar changes across the <br />West will affect other states and river basins. Phenological changes (Le., relations between climate and biological <br />phenomena) will also take place. Some pieces of the puzzle are anthropogenic, and others are not. The challenge <br />will be managing water given future climate changes and increasing uncertainty. <br /> <br />The 2006 Fall meetings of the Council will be held in Sheridan, Wyoming at the Holiday Inn on October 4-6. <br /> <br />http://www.westgov.org/wswc/1679.html <br /> <br />9/1212006 <br />