1981 CO Drought Plan

• Title: The Colorado Drought Response Plan
• Date: 5/15/1981
• Description: Colorado Drought Response Plan
• Basin: Statewide
• Drought Mitigation - Doc Type: Complete Plan

I . SITUATION
In recent years, Colorado has experienced serious and costly water
shortages. These shortages have been the result of changing con-
ditions in water supply and demand. Disequilibrium between supply
and demand has developed because of Colorado's relatively arid
climate and growing population. As population continues to increase
and as climate and conservation practices fluctuate, a temporary
diminishment in water supply can be highly disruptive to the normal
process in both the urban and rural environments. Two consecutive
years of significant reduction in precipitation in Colorado would
have serious and far reaching economic impacts.
When droughts occur, the State is impacted with a variety of
ambiguous and complex problems, which, if identified and evaluated,
can be dealt with in a well organized and cost-efficient way. The
most significant impacts which typically confront the State are
related to such water intensive activities as: agriculture, wild-
fire protection, municipal usage, commerce, tourism and wildlife
preservation. A reduction of electric power generation and water
quality deterioration are also potential problems.
A systematic and timely application of limited resources, when
utilized on the basis of a clear understanding of existing or potential
impacts, can reduce drought effects. Should drought intensify to the
point where broad scale impacts exceed the State's response capabili-
ties, an existing and effective State program for the mitigation of
drought impacts would facilitate a request for federal assistance.
II . PURPOSE
The purpose of the Plan is to provide an effective and systematic
means for the State of Colorado to deal with emergency drought
problems which may occur over the short or long term.
III . EXECUTION
A. Concept. To better enable Colorado's State governmental process to
deal with the complexities of emergency drought response management,.
an assessment system has been established which is separate from
the response system. Assessment and response, working in tandem,
support and are subordinate to, the overall governmental process.
The assessment system utilizes a broad range of information sources,
gathers and evaluates data, and provides for the delineation of the
problem areas which cannot be met locally. The response system
deals with those current and unmet needs that fall within the
State's capabilities. If unmet needs become excessive or extra-
ordinary, recommendations are madeto the Governor for State
legislative or federal assistance. To deal with unusually complex
emergency problems an Inter-Agency Coordinating Group comprised of
representatives of lead response agencies has been established.
This group takes action to resolve issues internally when possible,
and alternatively provides recommendations for further action to
the Governor, These relationships are depicted in two diagrams for
the responsibility and system flow (following Paragraph V of this Plan)
as Appendixes 1 and 2. The sequence of actions to be undertaken by the
-1-