WSP13055 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

d. Alternative Methods for Tributary Apportionments It must be emphasized that the above tables do not necessarily show the tributary compact entitlements for each Upper Basin state. They only identify the point at which each state must develop some method of tributary appor- tionment. An Upper Basin state could decide to endorse the Colorado DNR middle depletion scenario as the most accurate tally of its water development expectations, and use it as the basis for tributary apportionments. But each state could also opt for either of the following approaches: 1. 1948 Compact acre-foot entitlements could be allocated according to intrastate water right priorities. This would require an integrated tabulation of all water rights on all Colorado River tributaries in each state. State-wide entitlements could then be compared against the integrated tabulation, and a cutoff point could be iden- tified. 2. 1948 Compact acre-foot entitlements could be apportioned according to the extent of over appropriation on each Colorado River tributary, with the more over- appropriated tributaries receiving a greater share of this state-wide entitlement. The rationale for this approach is that the extent of over appropriation is a better indication of water development expectations than the Colorado DNR depletion data. e. Assumptions Made by Recent Studies Each of the recent studies at least recognize that there is an uncertain range of 1948 Compact statewide acre-foot entitlements, although none venture as far as the two more pessimistic scenarios which are the basis for Columns 1 and 2 in Table 8 above. None of these studies, however, attempt to illustrate the implications of even one set of 1948 Compact acre-foot entitlements for each Colorado River tributary in each Upper Basin state. None of the stu- dies show how small the 1948 Compact entitlements become once they are parcelled out to each of these Colorado River tribu- tary segments. 5. Interstate 'Constraints on Intrastate Water Rights a. The'White River in Colorado as an Example Once benchmarks for tributary apportionment are identified, it does not take much arithmetic to discern that these benchmarks could have an important bearing on intrastate water right holdings and development plans on any particular Colorado River trihutary. The White River in Colorado is discussed here as one example. ~. .. " -37-