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Compact Facts Colorado River Compact of 1922 Allocates 7.5 million AF of consumptive use annually to ( I) the Upper Colorado River Basin (those parts of Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming above Lee Ferry, Arizona), and (2) the Lower Colorado River Basin (those parts of Arizona, California, and Nevada below Lee Ferry, Arizona). This Compact requires the Upper Colorado River Basin to deliver an average of 75 million AF to the Lower Basin during any consecutive I a-year period. The Lower Basin is allowed an additional 1.0 million AF of consumptive use from the Colorado River system. Rio Grande, Colorado, and Tijuana Treaty of 1944 between the United States and Mexico Guarantees delivery of 1.5 million AF of Colorado River water per year to Mexico. If there is not adequate surplus water to satisfy the obligation, the Upper and Lower Basins are to equally share the burden of reducing uses to make up any deficiencies. Upper Colorado River Basin Compact of 1948 Allocates the 7.5 million AF apportionment of consumptive uses available to the Upper Basin as follows: Arizona 50,000 AF /year Colorado 51.75% Utah 23% Wyoming 14% New Mexico 11.25% Additionally, the State of Colorado may not deplete the flow in the Yampa River below an aggregate of 5 million AF over any I a-year period. (continued) Depending upon the interpretation of the Compacts, other laws, and the amount of water in the river, Colorado's right to the consumptive use of water under the Compacts may range from 3.079 million AF to 3.855 million AF per year. Colorado currently consumes an average of 2.3 million AF per year with facilities in place capable of using up to 2.6 million AF. Colorado's apportionment has not been divided among the various subbasins within the state. The Yampa and La Plata River Basins have specific delivery obligations under the Compacts. The allocation and administration of any surpluses and shortages under the Compacts within Colorado remains open to discussion but ultimately will be subject to determination and administration by the State Engineer. South Platte River Compact of 1923 Establishes Colorado's and Nebraska's rights to use water in Lodgepole Creek and the South Platte River. Nebraska has the right to fully use water in Lodgepole Creek. Colorado has the right to fully use water in the South Platte River between October 15 and April I. Between April I and October 15, if the mean flow of the South Platte River at Julesburg drops below 120 cfs and water is needed for beneficial use in Nebraska, water rights in Colorado between the western boundary of Washington County and the state line (the "Lower Section") with priority dates junior to June 14, 1897 must be curtailed or augmented through an approved plan. Republican River Compact of 1942 Establishes the rights of Colorado, Nebraska, and Kansas to water in the Republican River Basin and makes specific allocations of the right to make beneficial CU of water from identified streams. Statewide Water Supply Initiative Fact Sheet South PlJatte Basin -----L ~"" ,-- "><Un ~ ~ -,-J-- j -----1...,,,:./'1''''. "~:\i l, I ~L~ .....EF.A::...l I ~.C'.~c J.!~'ilII<J::>:< MOIiTEZ'JMA r--' J -I-f../ _ ,/ L.....L47... I ,cosnL.l.A ,/ I .a.RCHULEf.l, CONE.X::S I ; \ / South Platte Basin Overview The South Platte Basin (including the Republican River Basin) covers approximately 27,660 square miles in northeast Colorado. The largest cities in the basin are Denver (population 560,882), Aurora (population 287,216), and Lakewood (population 144,150). The topographic characteristics of the South Platte Basin are diverse. Elevations in the basin range from over 14,000 feet at the headwaters near the Continental Divide to 3,400 feet at the Colorado/ Nebraska state line. The headwaters of the South Platte River originate at an elevation of about I 1,500 feet. The South Platte River emerges out of the mountains southwest of the Denver metro region, flows through the Denver metropolitan urban area, and then enters the High Plains Region. Approximately one-third of the basin's land area is publicly owned, and the majority of these lands are forest areas in the mountains. Western portions of the basin and its montane and subalpine areas are primarily forested, while the High Plains region is mainly grassland and planted/cultivated land. This includes the Pawnee Natural Grassland. Major Imports into the Basin Major Storage Projects Normal Storage ReseNoir (AF) Horsetooth Reservoir 1 52,000 Carter Lake 112,200 Eleven Mile Canyon Reservoir 97,800 Cheesman Reservoir 79,064 North Sterling 74,590 Riverside Reservoir 63,302 Spinney Mountain Reservoir 53,873 Standley Lake 43,344 Gross Reservoir 41,811 Empire Reservoir 37,710 Jackson Reservoir 35,415 Aurora Reservoir 32,400 Barr Lake 32,100 Milton Reservoir 29,732 Prewitt Reservoir 28,840 Julesburg Reservoir 28,178 Chatfield Reservoir 26,600 Antero Reservoir 25,618 Marston Reservoir 19,795 Horse Creek Reservoir 18,747 Button Rock Reservoir 16,080 Cherry Creek Reservoir 13,226 Source: Colorado Division of Water Resources Office of Dam Safety Database. Average Recipient Diversions Name Stream (AF) 1 Adams Tunnel Big Thompson R. 218,142 2 Moffat Tunnel South Platte R. 52,155 3 Roberts Tunnel South Platte R. 53,676 4 Grand River Ditch Cache La Poudre R. 17,685 5 Laramie-Poudre Canal Cache La Poudre R. 18,580 6 Aurora Homestake South Platte R. 12,382 7 Michigan Ditch Cache La Poudre R. 3,294 8 Wilson Supply Ditch Cache La Poudre R. 1,482 Major Exports from the Basin None Water Conservancy Districts Central Colorado Lower South Platte Logan County Northern Colorado St. Vrain and Lefthand Badger and Beaver Upper South Platte Sedgwick-Sand Draws Center of Colorado *Continental Hoosier Tunnel exports from the Colorado Basin to the Arkansas Basin through a portion of the South Platte Basin. Source: Division 1 1998 Annual Report, 1 O-year averages. Additional information on this River Basin is available at http://www.cwcb.state.co.us Bill Owens Governor South Platte Basin Water Management Issues Russell George Department of Natural Resources Executive Director The South Platte Basin will face several key points and challenges with respect to water management issues and needs over the next 30 years. The following provides an overview of some of the points and challenges that have been identified. Rod Kuharich Colorado Water Conservation Board Director . Colorado's most diverse and industrialized basin. Agriculture is still a dominant water use but rapid changes are occurring and the impacts to rural communities are a key concern. . Competition for water is fierce and it is unclear how much competition there is for the same water supplies. . The success of the Upper Colorado Recovery Implementation Program for Colorado River Endangered Fish is important. The Recovery Program is designed to address the recovery needs of the Colorado River endangered fish while protecting existing water uses and allowing for the future use of Colorado River water in compliance with Interstate Compacts, Treaties, and applicable federal and state law "the Law of the Colorado River." . The lack of any new major water storage in the last 20 years has led to reliance on non-renewable groundwater in Douglas, Arapahoe, and northern EI Paso (EI Paso County is in the Arkansas Basin) counties. Explosive growth in these counties coupled with the lack of surface water supplies led to the creation of multiple small water districts and makes coordinated water development a challenge and less efficient, especially in light of limited renewable surface water supplies. (Continued on page 3) Beaver Ponds at Chatfield Reservoir (photo courtesy of Colorado State Parks) February 2006