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<br />[ill I ~1I1
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<br />2002
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<br />COLORADO WATER
<br />
<br />December
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<br />~ ~ (hC:T ~50 'J.:il."lll;...I... publl': Oftk;;lh. \\,Jla mana~cr'. .md lTll."Jia ~pn.'..cnt.:JU\'t", galht'n:d on the
<br />, . \' ~'aJl\pu' oj Colorado Slate: uJll'er'll~ on De~:l."mbocr..F ~(l ..hafe k.....oll' kamt.'d In m;m;lgm~ Ihc dr~t"'l
<br />I ~t"J.r on n:-<:ord l ~11l1~1 ;lIld t'\allllllC option.. lor .Jddr""~lflg thl." U/li,:CnJ.llll~ ot \\<ller avalla/llhl~ In _{lO3.
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<br />COLOIUIJO 1J!{()UillT CO:\FERE:\CE IJISCLSSES
<br />OI'TIO:\S FOR SL'R\'I\'I:\C; TilE U:\CERT,\I:\TY
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<br />The- Colorado Droul,'h! Conft"TC'lll'e \\a.. llrganiLed under the au'pin:.. of.hI: 111."" CSU OrnughlLab. .J jnllll milial;'!;' III the:
<br />CSU Wat<.'r Cenler and Ihe Colorado Climate" CI."IIIc:r 10 proadi\'d~ l'llgap: hlghC:f ..:du..:allllll C\p..'r1I't" in adJrC',"...ing the:
<br />kno....ledg..: nCl',h a-""o':;;jle-d \\ ilh the /lol onl~ the ,'urn:nt Jroughl. bUI t'UlUrc: drought preparation.
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<br />The <:onkrcnu: ";l\ "(l~p<.III"ored h~ th..: Cl'llorado Waler CllrbenaltUIl Board_ th~ Cnlor;lllo \\i;Llcr Confn:..~. tht" lJi\'i~jon of
<br />\\'ater Re'OllTl.:c..lSl;llc Enginecr'.. OIliL'cl, and thc Colorado DhUkt of Iht" U,S, (icolofir;lI Suney,
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<br />The L'onf..:renu: L"amined dat;tlmm 211112. bt:gilllling wilh the ;lvailabk "";lta ,upply and till' L'Ollh:.\t ufthe L'urrel11 drought
<br />\00 ithillthe hi,ttlriL' rCL'ord. Whik;l threc-year drought j, not unu"uill for the ,ellli.and Colorado dimatc. till' e'trel1ld~ 10""
<br />fin.... of 211112 i, J. rare event. PWJe':liom 1m moi'lun:: in 211113 \";11'). ilddmg 10 the ull':en:llnl~ la.:ing \Oo,lt<.'r managcl'.
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<br />While the 10\00 110....' III 211112 .:rc;IIt'd ,tre"c, 1111 Colorado', \\aler management ,~,tem, the 'y'lem ;Jppc::lrcd. in general. to
<br />"tlrk ....ell. W;lter lIlan;lgcr-. "cre ;Ibk to llI;lke thl" ;lllJu,tll1enh needed 10 minimill' the Imp.h:t_.., 1I0\\c\'...r, ..cv...ral.....<.:lon. of
<br />Colorado'.. cL'ollOm~. il \Ooa' notcd. ,uL'h ;1'> ,tgriL'ullurc ,IIIU Tt'L'reation and touri..m. e\['I;'riellL'cd major 10"-";'"
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<br />OptlOlb di,~'u"ed for Dc:lll'r prcp;lnng lor IUlUre dmught~ lll..:luded inLTea..mg funding for \00 at...r illfra~lrw:\Ure and
<br />lI1.ll1agemcl11. managing fon:..t~ In a morc 'ht";llthy' manner l\Oohidl will re..ult in ;ldduional thm..l. and doud ......eding to
<br />enhalh:e,trcam tlo....,.
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<br />.-\ pll.'1l:et"tiin;;, \11 lhe nltlkrelll.'e \L ill hi: rllhli..hed h~ the Color;ldo W;I1l'r Re,our.:c, Re..car.:h In..1lIU1e. II t, hoped the
<br />procee-dinp .:an ~;lpluf\: nut \ml~ th~ ;nltlml;llttlll and dala pre-'cllled. hut ;11"0 the un~'L'rtaill1~ C\pf<....-..:d h~ mallY \00 ater
<br />manager.. a.. to ,he- ..ilu;tlttlO Ihe-~ !;In.. ill 20U3. When dwught-. end. thc rrnhkm.. Juring the dfllu~httl'nd 10 ll\:: fnrgonen
<br />ljui~'kly. Hopefully. the rw..:e-e-ding.. \00111 ..erw to rerlllr1d u~ or the un.:e-n;t1t1t~ drnughl hrin~, :md the need 10 tlC mindful of
<br />dmught prcparati"'rl ;It all tllllC". Illll )u..1 during llllle.. of drouj!ht.
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<br />The Color.ldo Clim;Jte Center at Colorado 5t;lIe Uni\'ersity is dCIl.'umeming Ihe
<br />..ewrilY of Ih... drought in lenns of pn..'dritalion deficit and lemperature anoma-
<br />1ie~. So far,....e ha\:e found lhat the Ollt" year from Septembc-r I. 200110 August
<br />30. :!002 wa.. e:u:eplionally dry and warm. but the ..c\-er.lI-year pc=rio\1 ending
<br />Augu~t 3t1. ;::O():! was not an unusual droughl period. TIlt: lhrcal of longer-ternl
<br />drought. based on the historical precipilalion record. rac.c.. concern aboul even
<br />mo~ !oerious drought imp;Kh in lhe future. Thi.. work \\as reponed in part at
<br />lhe D,'-'l,:ember 4. 2(XI:! Drought Confere!ll.."e.
<br />
<br />ROl?l'rPil'lke.Sr,
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<br />The College of Enginecring and the o..::panmelll of Civil Engineering provided
<br />seed re~un:es 10 <.:harat:terize the ..e\-erit~ of droughts in the Poudn: Ri\er.
<br />1be pro~'l,:l. under the direction of Jo..e D. Sala.... Professor of Civil Engineer-
<br />ing and ~o-Director of Drou~hlLab and in collaboration wilh Water Re\OUn:e..
<br />Speciali~h of the Cit~ of Fort Collin.. and the North(,nl Color.ldo Water
<br />Con~r'\"anq Di~tri.:1. is quantifying Ihe drought ,<vcrilY and drought ri~k
<br />using ..tTt'amtiow records of the Poudrc Ri\'er. Partial re..ulb of Ihh projet'l.
<br />which were ~ummaruexl in .3 po~fer presentalion during Ih!:: Colorado Drought
<br />Confe~oce on Dec. -hh. ~uggesllhal the return period ot'lhe :!()III).():! Ihn-c.
<br />year drought in lhe Poudre i.. of Ihe order of 5fM}...!IMlO years de-pending on Ihl."
<br />delinitillll of drougbt ('\'eOl con~idered_ i.e. \Iuite a ..e\'ere droughL
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<br />Pictures on page J4. c/fK'Ii"'i,<t'
<br />from uppu left: ]OJl' Sa/as,
<br />l'mll'HoT oj Ci,.jJ f:nginff'r.
<br />jilt{ alld Co.OirtClOr, Colorado
<br />IJnlllgfu[ah: Rot{t'r Piellil'.
<br />Sr.. Proff'iJor of .-llmo_<plltri!':
<br />Sr:if'nt':f'ulldCn./Jirtc.
<br />tor. Colorado Orought/AII;
<br />Rf'prntfllaJil't /Jiane /loPtH
<br />with IJid: -'JacHa"e..". Execu.
<br />tin'/Jirtct''',ColoradoU'aler
<br />Cont{rf'S_\ and l.arry Simpson.
<br />"'attr Rn...urcrs J/HllOgrmt'nl,
<br />l..o,'eland; Tom Salldrrx.l'ro-
<br />ff'Hnr nfC;..jf ";ngineuing (1/ld
<br />Hod." U'ilf'.\', /Jelll'f'r "'alfr:
<br />and Chips Ilarry'./hnl"rr U'mu
<br />,,'jth 1.:Jaus "..../Ie'..\'o..t-\/
<br />CVe. Houldu: alld .Hart
<br />n (lagf'. Delll'a "'atl'r.Chips
<br />Ha".\'. lJen"r' "'au,,,'ilh
<br />J..-'auj lI'ollf'r, -,"O..H,C/X',
<br />Iloulder: and Harli UODge,
<br />Orn"rr"'atrr.
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