PUB00004

• Year: 2003
• Title: Gunnison Basin Water: No Panacea for the Front Range
• CWCB Section: Administration
• Author: Land and Water Fund
• Description: Gunnison Basin Water: No Panacea for the Front Range
• Publications - Doc Type: Other

.34.

The Land and Water Fund of the Rockies

o

Meeting Water Demand Without Gunnison Water

This is very expensive water. We repeat our belief that there is nowhere near
120,000 AFA of water available to transport to the Front Range from the Gunnison.
As quantities of water available from the Gunnison are reduced below 120,000 AFA,
costs per-acre-foot are correspondingly higher.

When compared to conservation strategies that cost as little as $10 per acre-
foot saved, '" imported Gunnison water is an unappealing economic choice. Even
when more expensive supply-side efficiency strategies are considered, importing
Gunnison water appears to be the least economic choice.

B. Alternatives for Meeting Front Range Water Demand

The 1999 Report of the Metropolitan Water Supply Investigation ("MWSI") set
the foundation for increasing the efficiency of Denver Metro water use through an
exploration of available supply-side options."5 When we refine these options and
consider incremental conservation measures that were not included in the original
study, we see that the Front Range can meet its foreseeable needs without the need
for large new trans-mountain diversions.''"

1. Overview

The MWSI reports that water demand in the Denver metropolitan area at
"build-out" could reach 877,000 AFA by 2045-enough water to quench the thirst of
3,269,000 people.'" Because water providers have a "reasonably certain future sup-
ply" of 763,000 to 802,000 AFA, there is a future unmet need of 75,000 and 114,000
AFA."" The MWSI, however, concluded the Denver metro area could make up this
shortfall and safely meet its projected water demand in 2045-without any large new
trans-basin diversions-by relying on the following creative supply-side options:

. Conjunctive use (making use of groundwater storage): 60,000 AFA
. Reuse of water (re-treating municipal waste water): 120,000 AFA
. Interruptible supply (dry-year leases of water from irrigators): 190,000 AFA
. Other system integration opportunities: 20,000 AFA

The MWSI set the "floor," not the "ceiling," for the Denver area's future water
options. The recommendations of the MWSI should be supplemented to present the
Denver metro area with an even wider range of options for meeting future water
demand.

First, the MWSI expressly did not examine potential savings from additional
water conservation."" Water conservation figures in the MWSI-assumed to be
159,900 AFA by 2045-rest on an extrapolation of only expected savings from conser-
vation programs in place at the time of the study.''" As explained in detail below,
additional conservation measures (inverted rate structures, rebates for Xeriscaping,
appliance replacements, and more), some of which were implemented during the
summer of 2002, have the potential to reduce metro-wide water demand by an addi-
tionall00,000 AFA or more on a sustained basis without affecting quality of life.