Major Water Transfers Between Basins - WordPress.com
Transcript of Major Water Transfers Between Basins - WordPress.com
Colorado’s Major Basins and SubbasinsLaramie
South Platte and Republican
Rio Grande
Gunnison
Colorado
White
Yampa
Arkansas
Dolores
San Juan
San Miguel
NorthPlatte
Green
MancosLa Plata Conejos
1
2
3
7
4
5
6
GREELEY
DENVER
PUEBLO
ALAMOSA
DURANGO
MONTROSE
DELTA
GRANDJUNCTION
GLENWOODSPRINGS
STEAMBOATSPRINGS
ARKANSAS RIVER
RIO GRANDE
DO
LOR
ES
RIV
ER
COLORADO RIVER
YAMPA RIVER
SOUTH
PLATTE
RIVER
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10
78
12
15
1617
1819202122
23
24
25
2829
30
3132 33
34
TO SOUTH PLATTE BASIN1. WILSON SUPPLY DITCH2. DEADMAN DITCH3. BOB CREEK DITCH4. COLUMBINE DITCH5. LARAMIE POUDRE TUNNEL6. SKYLINE DITCH7. CAMERON PASS DITCH8. MICHIGAN DITCH9. GRAND RIVER DITCH
10. ALVA B. ADAMS TUNNEL11. MOFFAT WATER TUNNEL12. BERTHOUD PASS DITCH13. STRAIGHT CREEK TUNNEL14. VIDLER TUNNEL 15. HAROLD D. ROBERTS TUNNEL16. BOREAS PASS DITCH17. HOOSIER PASS TUNNEL
TO ARKANSAS BASIN18. COLUMBINE DITCH19. EWING DITCH20. WURTZ DITCH21. HOMESTAKE TUNNEL22. CHARLES H. BOUSTEAD TUNNEL23. BUSK-IVANHOE TUNNEL24. TWIN LAKES TUNNEL25. LARKSPUR DITCH26. HUDSON BRANCH DITCH27. MEDANO PASS DITCH
TO RIO GRANDE BASIN28. TARBELL DITCH29. TABOR DITCH30. WEMINUCHE PASS DITCH31. PINE RIVER-WEMINUCHE PASS DITCH32. WILLIAMS CREEK-SQUAW PASS DITCH33. DON LA FONT DITCHES 1 & 234. TREASURE PASS DITCH35. SAN JUAN-CHAMA PROJECT
TRANSMOUNTAIN DIVERSIONSOFFICE OF THE STATE ENGINEER
GUNNISON
RIVER
12
41
4243
TO COLORADO RIVER BASIN40. DIVIDE HIGHLINE FEEDER DITCH41. SARVIS DITCH42. STILLWATER DITCH43. DOME DITCH44. REDLANDS POWER CANAL
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9
11
14
34
13
35
2627
36 3738
40
39
TO GUNNISON RIVER BASIN36. RED MOUNTAIN DITCH37. CARBON LAKE DITCH38. MINERAL POINT DITCH39. LEON TUNNEL
Updated June 2005
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2000 Average Annual Flows (Acre‐Feet) Leaving Colorado and West Slope to East Slope Diversions
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1,530,000
560,000
310,000
4,500,000
510,000
1,780,000 320,000
110,000 400,000
164,000
YAMPA
WHITE
COLORADO
SAN JUAN
SOUTH PLATTE
N. PLATTE
LARAMIE
WEST SLOPEPopulation:467,000Irrigated Acres:880,000
EAST SLOPEPopulation:3,869,000Irrigated Acres:2,270,000
400,000
2,000
Source: CWCB
Try for a TB/TM Project
• Basin of Origin: fight to protect a way of life• Basin of Use: fight to meet a pressing demand• Projects become EIS and permitting fights if there is any federal nexus
• Projects are Water Rights fights– The court for appropriation is in the basin of origin – The court for a change of use is in basin of use– Newer requirement to notify in both basins (court ruling).
• Notice the word Fight here?
Recent TB/TM Proposals
• Big straw• Flaming gorge pipeline• Yampa pipeline• Union Park Reservoir• Moffat firming project• Windy gap firming project
Silver Lining in TB/TM Waters
• Right to reuse imported water 37‐82‐106 CRS• Thornton v. Bijou (right to reuse)• Dominion and control of the reuse water
– Never lose the interest in that reuse water even after a long time of non use.
• Those who became dependent on reuse water? – Intensive accounting yields water you thought you’d lost.
– Exchange, exchange, exchange…
Silver Lining –some tarnish
• Today a lot of reuse water leased for replacement of agricultural well depletions
• New Reuse projects (municipal) coming…what happens to that agricultural demand?
• There isn’t enough TB/TM to fulfill all needs• Are we hitting the limits on exchange potential
• When does water quality become overwhelming?