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PLANNING AND STATUS OF THE COLORADO RIVER AUGMENTATION <br />DEMONSTRATION PROGRAM <br />Dr. Bernard A. Silverman <br />Bureau of .Reclamation <br />Denver, Colorado 80225 <br />1. Background <br />Water is the most critical factor in the resource equation that enriches <br />and rewards human endeavor in the West. However, the natural water supply <br />of the Colorado River, which is a source of water to over half of the <br />population of eleven western states, is rapidly becoming inadequate to <br />meet the needs of its various users. This demand is directly related to the <br />historically arid.conditions of the basin and the lack of adequate stream - <br />flow to meet existing conditions. Projections have been made that indicate <br />with future development and growth, water shortages will begin to occur <br />as early as 1990 in the lower basin and grow increasingly more severe <br />thereafter. Although large amounts of water presently in reservoir storage <br />will temporarily meet basin demands and excess flows may occur with normal <br />precipitation-over the next 10 to 20 years, projected requirements would <br />exceed natural flows by several million acre -feet annually after <br />that time. Increased water supplies will be needed due to rapidly expanding <br />population and industry in the region; salinity control and other water <br />quality problems; irrigation; reservoir and streamflow maintenance <br />for environmental, wildlife, and recreational benefits; and hydroelectric <br />power generation. Another significant factor affecting water and energy <br />requi.rements'in the region will be the -rate at which oil shale, coal, <br />and oil reserves in the basin are developed. Additionally, a greater <br />percentage of water is exported from the Colorado River than any other <br />major river system in the United States, including 1.5 million acre -feet <br />annually to meet the national obligation under the Mexican Water Treaty <br />of 1944. <br />There may be no one best solution to solve the impending water shortages, <br />but instead, a combination of augmentation and conservation methods will be <br />