9367 ‎(2)‎

• UCREFRP Catalog Number: 9367
• Author: Colorado Water Workshop.
• Title: Proceedings
• USFW Year: 1992.
• USFW - Doc Type: Colorado Water Workshop July 22-24, 1992.
• Copyright Material: NO

think those are things we need to be looking at for the 21st century.

John Carlson: I do not disagree that we ought to be looking into
that. I do not specifically know any of the answers to the questions
proposed. However, I know that evaporation loses are obviously much
higher in the Lower Basin, but the accuracy of those figures I have
no way of knowing. The people that believe in the market say that it
will drive cures, conservation, or methods of controlling evaporation
loses. Whether that is true or false, I do not know.

James Lochhead: I do not think that the 1-2 million acre-feet is
totally off the mark. I think in the early 1980' s, in the flood
releases, there was significantly more water that went through the
system and, in fact, reached the Gulf of California for the first time
since modern development had plugged up the river. Quite a bit of
water was spilled, and Gerald Zimmerman, from California, will, I am
sure, tell you that California believes that should not be repeated,
and the system should be operated more efficiently to capture that
water and provide more water for California as a result. I cannot
confirm those figures. I think that the issue of global warming is not
an issue we should ignore, and I think it plays into the question
that we will start addressing over the next couple days, about what
we should do about Colorado's or Upper Basin's unused entitlement to
water, and I think playing into that is the issue of what really is
our unused entitlement. How much water is in the river on a long term
basis? Is it 15 million acre-feet, is it 13.5 million acre-feet, or
is it, as some have suggested in long term drought scenarios and tree
ring studies, more like 9 million acre-feet, or 8 million acre-feet.
The suspenders that we are hanging off of get pretty short if that is
the case.

Question: This is directed towards Carroll or Jim. What is the
quantification of the Indian rights in the Colorado River Basin?

James Lochhead: Not all Indian water rights have been quantified, and
those that have been, were quantified in different forums. There was
some quantification in the decree of Arizona v. California. There
have been quantifications, in Colorado as a result of the water rights
settlement agreement in southwestern Colorado. There is litigation
ongoing in several states. It is an issue that is being handled on
a case by case basis in several different forums. There are
significant potential demands from Native American tribes on the
Colorado River. There is certainly no doubt about that.

Paul Frohardt: I think we will hear a lot more about that tomorrow
morning, as well. Other questions?

Question: Lori, as I understand it, you are of the opinion that we
are going to be unable to develop that nearly 800,000 acre-feet of
water that runs out of the state on the Colorado River. In your view,
in light of A.W.D.I., Fort Lyon, and of agricultural dry up, is the
Sierra Club going to support the development in any way or form that
800,000 acre-feet.

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