17G

• Board Meeting Date: 11/18/2007
• Description: CF Section – Bundled Non-Reimbursable Investments – Evaluation of Non-Tributary Groundwater Resources in the Colorado and Yampa-White River Basins
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Memo

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STATE OF COLORADO
Colorado Water Conservation Board
Department of Natural Resources
1313 Sherman Street, Room 721
Denver, Colorado 80203
Phone: [phone]
FAX: [phone]
www.cwcb.state.co.us
MEMORANDUM BiIl Ritter, Jr.
Governor
Hams D. Sherman
To: Colorado Water Conservation Board Members Executive Director
Dan McAuliffe
From: Andy Moore cwcB Acting
Director
Date: September 5, 2007
Re: Non-Reimbursable Investments -Evaluation of Non-Tributary Groundwater Resources in the
Colorado and Yampa-White River Basins
Introduction
•This request for funding is from the Colorado Geological Survey (CGS) to perform an evaluation of non-
tributary groundwater resources in the Colorado, Yampa and White River Basins. Foi• FY 07-08, an
appropriation of $40,000 is being sought from the Construction Fund to perform the study.
Discussion
Northwestern Colorado is experiencing an unprecedented increase in energy development that is
transforming the region into a major energy producing center. Diverse energy resources in the region can
be found in the form of conventional oil and gas, oil shale, coal, and (potentially) uranium. Development
of these resources will require reliable sources of water for industrial purposes as well as to support the
anticipated growth in population that will accompany the energy boom.
The area lies within the Colorado, White, and Yampa River watersheds which will be expected to supply
this increased demand for water. In order to quantify these anticipated energy related water demands, the
Colorado River Basin and Yampa-White Basin Roundtables have commissioned a study of the water
needs associated with anticipated energy development in the area using the Senate Bill 06-179 statewide
Water Supply Reserve Account (WSRA) funds (Energy Development Water Needs Assessment).
Concurrent with this energy needs assessment is a study of water availability in the Colorado River
System under the Colorado River Compact funded under Senate Bill 07-122. These two studies should
provide estimates of anticipated water needs along with possible surface water availability to meet those
needs.
However, ground-water resources in the region also have the potential to meet some of the anticipated
water needs. Development ofnon-tributary groundwater resources in the region could relieve some of the
inevitable competitive transfer of surface water from current sustainable uses to the energy sector. Using
Colorado Water Conservation Board
Flood Protection • Water Supply Planning and Finance • Stream and Lake Protection
Water Supply Protection • Conservation and Drought Planning