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;Water in the Balance; Open Letter on Drought in Colorado Dear Reader: Over 20 years ago. the severe winter drought of 1976-77 sent shock waves through Colorado' 5 economy and state government. Bare ski slopes, empty reservoirs, and drifts of topsoil left many of us in government feeling helpless and ill prepared. At that time, Governor Richard Lamm convened a special council of experts who assessed the crisis and proposed ideas for lessening the impacts on recreation-based industries and agriculture. The greatest frustration expressed by decision makers then was the lack of timely and integrated information from which to make plans and base actions. How severe and how widespread were the drought conditions? Who was affected and what were the current and emerging impacts? The state needed better information. The crisis motivated actions, but by 1978 heavy snows and spring rains were falling again. As is often the case, when the immediate crisis passed, proposed actions were tabled. Then came the winter of 1980-81 with another round of severe snow shortages. Governor Lamm. who was still in office. brought back many of the same experts. Within a matter of months the "Colorado Drought Response Plan" was approved and implemented. While it is arguable that this plan could immediately reduce drought impacts, what the plan did accomplish was to identify drought as a major natural hazard in Colorado and to establish clear mechanisms for monitoring drought conditions and impacts, and communicate water supply and drought impact information to decision makers. Colorado was one of the first states to institutionalize drought monitoring and response, and has been very active ever since in promoting research and encow-aging drought mitigation efforts. This report describes some of the new techniques for drought monitoring that have been developed in Colorado, and presents results of drought studies which have been supported by the Colorado Office of Emergency Management, the Colorado Water Resources Research Institute and the Colorado Agricultural Experiment Station. Since the "Colorado Drought Response Plan" was implemented in 1981, Colorado has enjoyed the longest period free from widespread multi-year droughts since before the 1930. "Dustbowl." Yes, we now have better information about drought and improved data on the frequency and severity of droughts from the past. But with the very generous precipitation for the period 1982- 1999, are we ready and able to deal with drought and its consequences? Please take the time to read this report. At the very least, I hope this will remind us all how real the threat of drought is here in Colorado so that we can be better prepared when the next drought threatens. Sincerely, ~.~or Colorado Office of Emergency Management. 2