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Last modified
4/29/2010 3:24:05 PM
Creation date
4/29/2010 2:43:05 PM
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Drought Mitigation
Title
What the Current Drought Means for the Future of Water Management in Colorado
Date
1/1/2003
Description
2002 Drought Impact Report
Basin
Statewide
Drought Mitigation - Doc Type
Reports
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY <br />For at least the last three years, Colorado has been in the grip of a serious drought. In the <br />public debate that has emerged from this natural phenomenon, some elected officials and <br />others have called for more large dams. We believe that a review of the hydrology of the <br />state's rivers, the existing water supply infrastructure, and the economic, financial, and <br />environmental consequences of building large new structures suggests that there are more <br />effective and efficient options. In this report, after describing the state of the Colorado <br />water economy and the value of water in various uses, we: 1) identify the principles for <br />assessing future management strategies and projects; 2) review the hydrologic and <br />economic impacts of the drought; 3) appraise the drought response of water managers; <br />and 4) outline the structural and non - structural options for meeting future demands. <br />Principles for Assessing Water Management Strategies and Proiects <br />Colorado has a surprising abundance of water for a great variety of purposes, despite <br />relatively low and unevenly distributed precipitation and a perception of water scarcity. <br />This abundance is often obscured, however, by the inefficient way in which water is <br />managed and used. Many, if not most, water management utilities are making significant <br />strides toward improving both their efficiency and system reliability. Nonetheless, while <br />individual users may be efficient from their point of view, at higher levels, like <br />watersheds, the potential for improved efficiencies still exists. <br />Colorado's water economy has passed from its "expansionary phase" into what might be <br />called its "mature phase," in which: 1) water users are linked by elaborate physical <br />systems and are increasingly interdependent economically; 2) new supply options are <br />limited; 3) costs of new supply are rapidly escalating; and 4) federal subsidies have <br />evaporated. Moreover, people now value free flowing streams for their recreational and <br />environmental worth. Applying a widely accepted rule based on the principle that an <br />efficient and fair public policy decision is one that makes no entity worse off for the <br />betterment of another, present day water supply expansion decisions based on large <br />storage projects are almost always wasteful, inefficient, and unfair. Thus, we recommend <br />that, before considering new storage options, we should: <br />➢ Invest in conservation; <br />➢ Foster cooperation between the two largest user groups — cities and farmers; <br />➢ Restore and enlarge existing storage facilities; and <br />➢ Use system linkages to distribute existing supplies more efficiently. <br />We further recommend that future water supply management and development efforts <br />should adhere to five basic principles of what we would characterize as "smart storage ": <br />➢ Make full and efficient use of existing water supplies and usable return flows; <br />➢ Expand water supplies incrementally to utilize existing diversion and storage <br />capacities better; <br />iii <br />
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