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The Denver Post Water groups focus on future River 'call' would cut Front Range supply By Theo Stein Denver Post Environment Writer Sunday, April 25, 2004 - The state's top water users will be sitting down this year to plan for what was once unthinkable: a federal demand that Colorado shut down its water users to provide more water for California. Colorado will also have to re- evaluate its intent to begin a huge dam - building program to create more water storage if the drought continues, said Scott Balcom, the state's representative to the seven -state Colorado River Commission. On Wednesday, Balcom told the legislature's Joint Agriculture Committee that water users and state officials also need to develop a unified position to help in any future negotiations about how to manage the river during a long -term drought. No meetings have been set for the working group, but Colorado Water Conservation Board director Rod Kuharich said the state agency is counting on the group to tackle several thorny and unresolved issues. One big question for examination is how to keep water flowing to Front Range cities if Colorado is forced to release water from its reservoirs for use by California, Nevada and Arizona. "There are a number of large users, like cities, that really can't shut off water completely," Balcom said. "The increment used by cities will have to be made up by other sources." Under the compact, Colorado, Wyoming, Utah and New Mexico are required to allow an average of 7.5 million acre -feet per year to flow past a river gauge below Lake Powell for use by California, Arizona and Nevada. (An acre -foot of water equals about 326,000 gallons, enough water for up to two families for a year.) The four upper -basin states have met their compact obligations during the five -year drought by releasing water from Lake Powell in Utah and Arizona. But the lake is expected to fall below its current 42 percent of capacity by year's end. And federal Bureau of Reclamation officials say the lake could drain completely if the drought continues for two or three more years. Most water delivery across the Continental Divide to the Front Range was developed after the 1922 Colorado River Compact and would be vulnerable to a compact call. Members of the new group will include most of the state's biggest water utilities and conservation districts, including the Denver Water Board, the Northern Colorado Water Conservancy District and the Colorado River Water Conservancy District. The panel is expected to address a range of issues, including: Will the upper -basin states get credit for water that federal officials have been releasing from Lake Powell to satisfy treaty obligations with Mexico? That could delay the onset of a compact call by a http: / /www.denverpost.com /eda/article /print /0 ,1674,36 %7E53 %7E2104839,00.htm1 4/26/2004